L–R: All Progressives Congress National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; Minister of state, FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud; FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike; and President
commissioning of the Greater Abuja Water Supply Network Loops 1, 2, 5 and 6 of FCC, Abuja, yesterday
Hails NSIA for championing strategic infrastructure projects, others Oramah: SWF should bankroll domestic projects Large-scale capital mobilisation key to unlocking transformative growth
President Bola Tinubu yesterday tasked the African leadership to deepen regional cooperation and strategically deploy sovereign wealth funds to accelerate development across the continent.
The president insisted that sovereign wealth funds must become the anchors for pan-African investment platforms that de-risk projects, standardise processes, and deliver sustainable outcomes at scale, adding “This is not just a strategy. This is a necessity”.
Tinubu spoke at the opening of the 4th Annual Meeting of the Africa Sovereign Investors Forum (ASIF) with the theme, “Leveraging African Sovereign Wealth Funds to Mobilise Global Capital for Transformative Development in Africa”, which was hosted by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) in Abuja.
He stressed that the coordinated use of these national reserves remained essential for closing infrastructure gaps, enhancing climate resilience, and creating employment for the rapidly expanding youth population.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, he said the continent must align its resources and ambitions in response to a fast-changing global
landscape.
The president said the forum came at a critical moment when the world is undergoing rapid transformation and under pressure to think outside the box.
He said, “For Africa, this is the moment to position itself to seize opportunities arising from these changes.”
The president stressed that African countries must emulate the example of evolving sovereign wealth funds globally, which now played central roles in national transformation rather than being used solely as fiscal stabilisation tools.
He said, “Our future lies not in working in silos but in pursuing regional cooperation and collective ambition.
“Our sovereign wealth funds must become the anchors for pan-African investment platforms that de-risk projects, standardise processes, and deliver sustainable outcomes at scale.
This is not just a strategy. This is a necessity.”
The president also acknowledged the fiscal pressures African governments face amid heightened expectations for inclusive and sustainable growth, but said innovation and creativity in resource utilisation will provide a
way forward.
Tinubu said, “There can be no greater inspiration to reimagine how we invest, whether in setting up critical infrastructure, strengthening our climate resilience, promoting food security through agricultural innovation, supporting micro, small and medium enterprises, or embracing the digital economy to create jobs and expand opportunity.”
He commended the NSIA for its role in championing strategic infrastructure projects, describing it as a catalyst in the country’s development agenda, particularly in renewable energy, healthcare, and agriculture.
Specifically, he praised the NSIA’s leadership for working with like-minded
funds and international partners to craft long-term investment strategies tailored to Africa’s unique challenges.
The president said the forum represented a vital step toward fostering integration among Africa’s sovereign wealth institutions - and possesses the potential to pool expertise, capital and networks across borders and drive investment into high-impact projects.
He said, “This is precisely why platforms like the Africa Sovereign Investors Forum are not just relevant but essential. ASIF offers a pan-African mechanism to harness the collective strength of our sovereign investment institutions.
“It gives us the power to share knowledge, co-invest across borders,
and speak with a unified voice in the global financial ecosystem.”
The president further described the launch of the ASIF Investment Platform as a bold initiative that could galvanise financing for cross-border infrastructure and drive the continent’s sustainable development.
In his remarks, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun urged stakeholders to focus on large-scale capital mobilisation, human capital development, policy alignment, and intercontinental collaboration. He said these elements are critical to unlocking transformative growth across Africa.
He said, “We are optimistic that this meeting will produce significant
transactions that can attract the needed capital, build impactful partnerships and catalyse economic transformation across the continent.”
On his part, President of the African Export-Import Bank (AfreximBank), Prof. Benedict Oramah, called for a change in investment philosophy, urging that African sovereign wealth funds be retained within the continent to finance domestic projects.
He said, “There is a misconception that Africa lacks bankable projects. The potential across the continent is massive. The issue lies in how we approach investment strategy. Sovereign fund managers need to prioritise domestic investments that have long-term impact.”
Nume Ekeghe
In a fresh move to consolidate Nigeria’s climate financing architecture and deepen sustainable development, the federal government has announced
James Emejo in Abuja
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) yesterday said it has summoned the management of Air Peace Limited over a deluge of consumer complaints from across the country relating to the non-refund of ticket fares, even in instances where the airline had cancelled its flight operations.
The commission said these actions potentially contravened Sections 130(1)(a) and (b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, which expressly guarantee consumers the right to timely refunds where advance bookings, reservations, or orders are unfulfilled due to
service-provider’s failure. In a statement, FCCPC Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, noted that the provision enshrines the principle of fair dealing and safeguards consumers against unfair, unjust, or unreasonable practices by service-providers.
In a formal summons dated June 13, 2025, the commission, invoking Sections 32 and 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, required the airline to appear before its Abuja Headquarters on Monday, June 23, 2025. Specifically, Section 33(3) of the FCCPA mandates compliance and failure attracts severe sanctions including fines or imprisonment.
The airline was further directed
to produce documentary evidence including complaint log for refunds over the past 12 months, total records of processed refunds to date, list of cancelled flights on all routes and remedial actions taken to mitigate consumer hardship resulting from cancelled flights.
Earlier in December 2024, the FCCPC had commenced inquiries into separate allegations of exploitative ticket pricing, including substantial price hikes for advance bookings on certain domestic routes by Air Peace.
In response, the airline instituted legal proceedings seeking to restrain the commission from continuing its inquiry.
Ijagwu, however, said, “This is an entirely different matter.”
the issuance of its third Sovereign Green Bond, targeting up to N50 billion in proceeds to fund key environmental and infrastructure projects across the country.
The Director-General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Patience Oniha, disclosed this to investors and fund managers in Lagos, yesterday, saying the offer, which opened yesterday, would close on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
The bond is expected to attract domestic and international investors aligned with the green economy agenda following the successful outings of the Series I and II Green Bonds in 2017 and 2019 respectively, both of which were oversubscribed and channelled into renewable energy, afforestation, agriculture, and clean transportation.
Co-arranged by Chapel Hill Denham Advisory Limited and Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, the Series III issuance is structured as a fixed-rate note with a five-year tenor. It is backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government of Nigeria and qualifies as a liquid asset for financial institutions a classification that makes it especially attractive to banks and institutional investors.
According to the investor presentation, proceeds from the
Green Bond would be deployed to a range of climate-focused projects, including N15.96 billion for climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives under the Federal Ministry of Environment. N15 billion for clean energy transition programmes under the Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG), including electric vehicle infrastructure and local gas conversion projects and N16.4 billion for water infrastructure projects, comprising the construction of new earth dams and the rehabilitation of key water supply systems.
Speaking on the offer, Oniha, described it as a pivotal component of Nigeria’s strategy to mobilise climate finance and demonstrate leadership on environmental stewardship within Africa
She said: “We are supporting the government to support the environment in the interest of all of us.
Nigeria is doing something about the environment, about climate change, and this is part of that journey, because you need funding to support that initiative. “It is tied to a global policy of looking after the environment, and also because Nigeria is committed to those initiatives, we would like to do more and do it consistently.”
Upon completion of the offer, allotment results would be announced
on June 20, with listing on both the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) Sustainable Instruments Market and the FMDQ Green Exchange slated for July 7. The dual listing aims to provide transparency, liquidity, and visibility for investors looking to gain exposure to certified green assets. Also, data presented by the Federal Ministry of Environment at the launch highlights the urgency of Nigeria’s green transition: the country ranks 140th out of 180 on the Environmental Performance Index.
Speaking Director of the Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Dr. Iniobong Awe, said: “Nigeria has committed to reducing emissions by 47 per cent under the Paris Agreement, with targets of 20 per cent unconditional and 45 per cent conditional reductions.
“Key initiatives include a climate policy from 2021 to 2030, a National Determined Contribution, and the development of green bonds for innovative financing. Sector-specific plans address agriculture, oil and gas, and energy, with notable projects like the energising education project and the BRT mass transit project. The goal is to achieve significant climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.”
L–R: Senior Vice-President, Government Affairs, FMDQ Group, Mr Emmanuel Etaderhi; Managing Director/CEO, Central Securities Clearing
Management Office
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) yesterday disclosed that the total revenue accrual to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) from Education Tax reached approximately N1.024 trillion in five years.
between NEITI and TETFund, quoting NEITI industry reports on the Nigeria extractive sector.
The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji, stated this in Abuja at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony
A statement signed by the Deputy Director, Communication and Stakeholders Management, Chris Ochonu, stressed that the MoU signed was on
information and data sharing which ensures that NEITI’s verified data will feed into TETFund’s strategic planning, revenue forecasting, and accountability framework.
“Under the MoU, NEITI will work with TETFund to ensure timely and
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to developing economies, a key trigger of economic growth and higher living standards, have dwindled to the lowest level since 2005 amid rising trade and investment barriers, a new report from the World Bank showed.
These barriers pose a significant threat to global efforts to mobilise financing for development.
According to the World Bank report, in 2023, the latest year for which data are available, developing economies received just $435 billion in FDI—the lowest level since 2005.
That coincides with a global trend in which FDI flows into advanced economies have also slowed to a trickle
High-income economies received just $336 billion in 2023, the lowest level since 1996.
Nigeria’s FDI for the second quarter of 2024 dropped to $29.83 million, marking the lowest level recorded based on available data
up to 2013.
In its recent report on Nigeria, the Bretton Woods institution said reforms by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) increased foreign exchange inflows into the country, which was mainly driven by foreign portfolio investment (FPI)—attracted by relatively high yields and potential revaluation gains.
The new report by the World Bank noted that as a share of their GDP, FDI inflows to developing economies in 2023 were just 2.3 per cent, about half the number during the peak year of 2008.
FDI tends to be concentrated in the largest economies.
Between 2012 and 2023, about two-thirds of FDI flows to developing economies went to just 10 countries, with China receiving nearly a third of the total and Brazil and India receiving roughly 10 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.
The 26 poorest countries which are mostly in Africa, received barely 2 per cent of the total. Advanced economies accounted
for nearly 90 per cent of the total FDI in developing economies over the past Aboutdecade. half of that came from just two sources: The European Union and the United States.
In 2023, FDI accounted for roughly half of the external financing flows received by developing economies.
Under the right conditions, it is a strong spur to economic growth, as analysis of data from 74 developing economies between 1995 and 2019 suggested that a 10 per cent increase in FDI inflows generates a 0.3 per cent increase in real GDP after three years.
The impact is nearly three times larger—up to 0.8 per cent—in countries with stronger institutions, better human capital, greater openness to trade, and lower informality.
By the same token, the effect of FDI increases is much smaller in countries that lack such features.
Commenting on the declining FDI flows to developing economies, the World Bank Group’s Chief
Oluchi Chibuzor
The Ibukun Awosika Leadership Academy (IALA) has announced the debut edition of African Marketplace Dubai 2025.
The initiative is a platform that aggregates the finest export-ready SMEs, brands, and products from Africa and the Caribbean, spanning fashion, agribusiness, tech, textiles, creative arts, and across multiple sectors — and connects them to the world.
A statement explained that scheduled to hold from November 12–15, 2025, at the
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai, the four-day exhibition “is more than just a marketplace; it’s a global stage designed to unlock opportunity, deepen intra-Africa and diaspora trade, and build a long-term pipeline for economic and cultural exchange.”
It added: “African Marketplace Dubai is positioned as a response to one of the continent’s most urgent challenges — sustainable access to global markets. The event is designed to provide participants with a dynamic mix of product exhibitions, hands-on workshops, immersive cultural showcases, and
focused business development sessions.
“While all attendees will be able to explore the depth and diversity of African and Caribbean innovation, dedicated networking opportunities will be tailored specifically for exhibitors to connect directly with distributors, investors, and cross-border partners.”
Speaking on the upcoming event, the founder, IALA, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika said: “African Marketplace Dubai is our opportunity to introduce the best of our continent and the Caribbean to the world in a powerful way.
Economist and Senior Vice President, Indermit Gill said:
“What we’re seeing is a result of public policy. It’s not a coincidence that FDI is plumbing new lows at the same time that public debt is reaching record highs.
“Private investment will now have to power economic growth, and FDI happens to be one of the most productive forms of private investment. “Yet, in recent years governments have been busy erecting barriers to investment and trade when they should be deliberately taking them down. They will have to ditch that bad habit.”
Representatives of governments, international institutions, civil society organisations, and the private sector are scheduled to meet in Seville, Spain between June 30 andJuly 3, to discuss how to mobilise the financing that will be needed to achieve key global and national development goals.
The new analysis from the World Bank highlighted the policies that will be needed to achieve those goals at a time when economic growth has slowed to a crawl, public debt has surged to record highs, and foreign-aid budgets have shrunk.
prompt remittances through early deployment of evidence-based data.
NEITI will also provide real-time information on revenue accruals due to TETFund to guarantee transparency and support the Fund in tracking remittances and utilisation.
“Our joint effort will uplift educational institutions, enhance access to scholarships, and strengthen the research ecosystem across our public tertiary institutions,” Orji stated.
He emphasised that NEITI’s role will be to continuously support TETFund with timely, credible, and independently validated data on revenue accruals from the extractive sector.
This support, he said, will enhance TETFund’s capacity to track what is due, what has been paid, and what is yet to be remitted, thereby promoting accountability and enabling proactive financial planning in the education sector.
On the accruals to TETFund from education taxes from the extractive sector, a breakdown of the revenues from the NEITI’s industry audit reports showed that: In 2022, the total revenue accruals to TETFund stood at N322.99 billion while in 2023, that figure rose significantly to N571.01 billion, the highest annual inflow to date.
Besides, between 2019 and 2021, NEITI audit data showed that total accruals to TETFund amounted to N644.19 billion, of which N624.32 billion was disbursed. These disbursements, Orji stressed, highlight the centrality of the extractive sector in financing Nigeria’s tertiary education.
“Today’s MoU connects the source and the application of public revenues. NEITI tracks and verifies what is paid. TETFund ensures that what is received is invested for impact. Together, we are creating a value chain of accountability—from extraction to education,” the executive secretary maintained.
Orji stressed that the over N1.024 trillion that has accrued to TETFund in just five years must be fully accounted for, efficiently deployed, and transparently tracked and that it must
translate to modern libraries, functional laboratories, revitalised lecture halls, and cutting-edge research that meets the challenges of the 21st century.
“With this MoU, NEITI and TETFund commit to a future of joint accountability, open data exchange, and measurable impact. This is not just a partnership between two institutions—it is a covenant with the Nigerian people and a promise to ensure that Nigeria’s natural resource wealth truly works for every citizen—especially through education,” he restated.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, stated that the MoU signing ceremony was a landmark event from the series of engagements between TETFund and NEITI.
Echono explained that the MoU will enable TETFund and NEITI explore various avenues of ensuring accountability in the areas of tax accruals on education tax are duly remitted. He noted that this is to enable TETFund recover such funds to boost revenue for education development that promotes the agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“The MoU will also define a framework that will enable us to get accurate, credible, and up-to-date data that will culminate into a very firm agreement between the two agencies. Other key components of the MoU include improvement of revenue and efficiency in its collection,” Echono reiterated.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Abel Enitan, described the MoU signing as a welcome development and a foundation for sustainable growth in the education sector.
Enitan emphasised the ministry’s support, highlighting the importance of transparency and NEITI’s vital role not just in signing, but also in implementing the agreement. He called for an urgent need to recover extractive companies’ unremitted taxes for education development that will impact not only the present generation but also generations unborn.
Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, Monday met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso and some to officials of the apex bank in continuation of efforts to deepen the alignment of fiscal and monetary policies.
The meeting was held at the CBN headquarters in Abuja, according to a terse statement issued by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Manga. Discussions, the statement said, focused on sustaining and accelerating the momentum against the backdrop of inflation easing to 22.97 per cent in May 2025.
“Discussions focused on sustaining and accelerating this momentum, essential to stabilising prices, boosting investor confidence, and empowering private sector-led growth.
“This meeting underscores the Ministry’s commitment to collaborative economic management, signalling a renewed focus on driving sustainable growth and development in Nigeria
Alex Enumah in Abuja and Wale Igbintade in Lagos
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, yesterday, pleaded not guilty to alleged charge of unlawful obtainment of an Abuja property containing 753 housing units.
Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the eight-count charge, which included fraud and forgery, filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Following his not guilty plea, prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court for an accelerated hearing of the matter in pursuit of the EFCC’s establishment Act to avoid unnecessary delays.
While he sought for date for the commencement of the trial he prayed that Emefiele be remanded in the custody of the correctional center.
Responding, Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr. Mathew Burkaa, SAN, informed the court that he had filed for the bail of the defendant on June 13, adding that since the prosecution did not file any counter affidavit, it was presumed that he was not opposed to the grant of the bail application.
He drew the court’s attention to the fact that the defendant was already being tried by the prosecution in three other matters, and this was the fourth, adding that Emefiele was granted bail in the three matters.
Delivering the ruling, trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu who held that bail was constitutional and that a defendant was presumed innocent
until proven otherwise.
Justice Halilu, who observed that the highest offense in the land was treasonable felony, noted that the court had on several occasions admitted defendants to bail.
“I have seen the charge filed against the defendant. Although the defendant did not file a counter, he however, raised some concerns in some parts of the affidavit in support of the application, and those issues are hereby struck out”, the judge held.
In granting Emefiele bail, the judge also recognised that Emefiele did not jump the bail granted by Justice Maryanne Anenih and Justice Hamza Muazu
As part of the conditions attached to the new bail, Justice Halilu that the defendant travel documents already before Justice mauza is attached, provide two sureties who must own landed property within the jurisdiction of the court worth N2 billion naira.
The sureties, in addition, must sign an undertaking to always ensure Emefiele is in court during the trial and will be jailed if the defendant jumps bail or forfeits the property.
Responding, Burkaa prayed the court to release the defendant to the defense team for at least seven days to enable the defendant perfect his bail.
Oyedepo however, objected, stating that it would amount to variation of the bail. He claimed that the conditions of the bail are not something the defendant would find difficult to meet.
The judge, however, ordered that Emefiele has till Wednesday to perfect
the bail or be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Center, Abuja.
The court fixed July 11 for the commencement of trial.
Earlier, Emefiele through his lawyer, is challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit on the grounds that he was not in anyway linked with the charge.
The property the former CBN boss is being tried is located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, measures 150,462.86 SQM and comprises 753 housing units.
A High Court of the FCT had last year ordered the forfeiture of the said property to the federal government over claims that the estate forms proceeds of crime.
However, Emefiele had approached the court to challenge the forfeiture order of the court.
While the matter is currently
pending at the Court of Appeal, the anti-graft agency, on May 30, filed a fresh charge against Emefiele and one Eric Ocheme, said to be a large.
The charge number: CR/358/2025, borders on alleged having control of property reasonably suspected to be unlawfully obtained. The offense is punishable under Section 319 of the Penal Code Law.
Besides the housing estate, the two defendants are also charged with unlawfully keeping in their possession billions of naira in proxy accounts in Zenith Bank.
In count one of the charge Emefiele and Ocheme are being accused of knowingly having within their control the housing estate suspected to be unlawfully obtained contrary to the law.
While in count two, they were alleged to knowingly have in their possession the sum of N167 million
domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915, in count three they were alleged to have held the sum of N1.23 billion in the same account. According to the anti-graft agency, the said sums were said to be reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
In another count, they were also alleged to have in their control another sum of N2.9 billion domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc.
In count five, the commission stated that the defendants between January and December 2022, knowingly had under their control the total sum of N1.98 billion domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, which sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
In other counts, they were also linked with the sum of N900 million and N600 million in Ifedigo Integrated Services’ account No: 1210750237 domiciled with Zenith Bank.
In count eight, Emefiele was said to have in January 2021, forged a document titled, “Irrevocable Power of Attorney Between MG Properties Limited and H and Y Business Global Limited” with the intention of causing it to be believed that the said titled document was executed by or by the authority of H and Y Business Global Limited.
The offences, according to the EFCC, contravened the provisions of sections 319, 362 and 364 of the Penal Code. In the meantime, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has overturned the final forfeiture order granted in favour of the federal government over several assets and cash allegedly linked to Emefiele.
Onyebuchi
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has criticised the recent Executive Order signed by President Bola Tinubu to promote offshore oil
Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN on Monday, charged staff of the ministry and agencies under it to pursue excellent service delivery at all times, in order to meet the expectations of the general public.
According to Fagbemi, “performance is not optional-it is the standard by which we will all be judged”.
He gave the charge at the opening of a one-day retreat on the Performance Management System (PMS) organized by the Federal Ministry of Justice. While observing that the theme: “Strengthening Institutional Performance for Effective Justice Delivery” is apt, Fagbemi stated that the PMS as embedded in the Federal Civil
Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 25), was not a mere administrative tool, but a backbone for the drive for institutional excellence and sustainable development.
The AGF, who restated his unwavering commitment to providing support and necessary leadership, noted that as stewards of justice, entrusted with the solemn responsibility to strengthen the very foundations of the nation’s legal and governance architecture, added that the retreat remained a defining moment and a call to action.
“We are at a time in history where the expectations of our citizens are rising, and the demands on our justice system are more complex than ever.
“Our response must be clear and resolute,we must build a ministry that is agile, responsive, and uncompromising in its pursuit of service excellence.
“The era of process for its own
sake must give way to a new era-one where every action is purposeful, every result is measurable, and every member of staff is accountable”, he said.
Besides, the minister stated that the significant progress the ministry has made thus far, included the establishment of PMS Core Teams, the appointment of Champions, comprehensive sensitization initiatives, and the alignment of departmental work plans with national priorities.
“These are laudable milestones. However, let me be clear-these steps are only the beginning. The true test of our resolve lies in our ability to make PMS an intrinsic part of our organizational culture.
“Every Director, every Unit Head, every officer must internalize the fact that performance is not optional-it is the standard by which we will all be judged.
and gas production in the country.
It said some aspects of the policy will have a restraining impact on enforcement of Nigerian Content law.
The new Executive Order, titled:
“The Upstream Petroleum Operations Cost Efficiency Incentives Order (2025)” introduces performance-based tax incentives for upstream operators who deliver verifiable cost savings that meet defined industry benchmarks.
However, PENGASSAN said its major concern was in the aspect of the Executive Order that sought to reduce cost of production in the upstream by granting 20 per cent tax credit to oil production companies.
In the same vein, the association has accused the producers and dealers of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) of exploitation by refusing to bring down the pump price of fuel in response to reduction in crude oil prices in the international market.
It blamed the regulatory agencies for abandoning their mandate to protect Nigerians from being shortchanged by profit-seeking oil companies.
Speaking at a Press Conference in Abuja yesterday, PENGASSAN president, Festus Osifo said that tax incentives granted to the oil companies by the President may not guarantee cost reduction unless security challenges are addressed.
He said one of the major cost elements presently driving high
production cost in the upstream sector is insecurity and resources committed to protection of production facilities.
According to the PENGASSAN president, one of the major reasons some oil and gas operators, especially the international oil and gas companies are leaving Nigeria is principally because of insecurity.
“This is majorly because the cost of securing facilities, the cost of securing infrastructure in the Nigerian oil and gas industry has become prohibitive,” he said.
“We are saying that this may not be far reaching. This may not really work, because there are some foundational problems, and until these foundational issues are addressed, that cost may not necessarily reduce.
“For us, the policy is quite commendable, that is quite good. But, in reducing the cost of operations, there are some inherent challenges that over the years, PENGASSAN has drawn the attention of the government to issues we want it to address squarely. And chief among these issues is the level of insecurity that we have in the oil and gas industry.
“I mean, the insecurity in Nigeria has also dovetailed into the oil and gas industry. One of the challenges that is affecting us today in Nigeria oil and gas industry is that the cost that the upstream companies spend in protecting their facilities, in protecting
their infrastructure, both in land, in sea, shallow waters, deep waters, etc., is quite prohibitive,” he said He said that companies in the upstream sector have to put up with the challenge of securing their production facilities whereas in other countries, oil companies do not have to bear such a huge financial burden on security bills.
Osifo said that it is the responsibility of government to provide security and to secure oil production infrastructure in the country For instance, Osifo said that for an average installation that is in offshore location, “you are going to realise that for one installation, you are going to have a minimum of three or four security vessels.
“These security vessels will be manned by Naval personnel. These security vessels, you pay for them on a daily basis. You pay for the crew on a daily basis as well. You have to fuel them on a daily basis. They are standing by and trying as much as possible to ensure that there is no intruder into these facilities. Whereas in other countries, it is not like that”. He also faulted the aspect of the Executive Order that suggests that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) could adopt a flexible approach in the enforcement of the provisions of its Act.
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has said the exit of Burkina-Faso, Mali and Niger, the three Alliance of Sahel States from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has not affected trade and bilateral relations among countries in the sub-region.
Addressing a press conference on the forthcoming West African Economic Forum to be hosted by Nigeria, Tuggar said there has not been any notable distortion in trade and relations between the rest of the countries still in ECOWAS and the departing AES countries.
He said for instance, Nigeria still has running the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission and trade is as healthy as it used to be before the neighbouring country left ECOWAS.
Tuggar, who also added that there has not been any friction in the relationship between the two
countries, said the same thing can be said of other countries in the region with AES countries.
On the summit scheduled for 20th and 21st June 2025 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, the Minister expressed Nigeria’s readiness to host the inaugural event aimed at showcasing West Africa to the rest of the world.
Tuggar, while noting that the forum was an initiative of President Bola Tinubu and aimed at strengthening economic ties, unlocking investment opportunities, and promoting sustainable development across West Africa, added that the summit is designed to foster regional integration and economic cooperation among member states.
He said: “We’re not just talking about ECOWAS and ECOWAS states, but indeed to all states, businesses, private sector, development finance institutions that pertain to the West African region.
“What we’re talking about is regional integration. What we’re doing with each other. How do we strengthen that so that we’re trading more?
“The event aims to unlock investment opportunities by identifying and supporting investment-ready projects. Furthermore, the summit
seeks to foster sustainable development by encouraging inclusive economic growth and development.
“The event will feature a range of activities, including a deal room, business conferences, and cultural events showcasing the region’s rich heritage.
“Overall, the West Africa Eco-
In CB n ’ S Re T u R n T o oRTH o D ox Y, F IRST Hol DC o FAC e S $887m e xpo S u R e investment bank, titled, “Nigerian Banks: Cash is King,” revealed that FirstHoldCo had significant forbearance exposure of 14 per cent, estimated at $887 million.
Reacting to the development in the banking industry, the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) Banking Index yesterday opened the week on a bearish note, dropping by four per cent to 1,169.74 basis points.
The new CBN directives, which included a temporary suspension of dividend payments, deferral of management bonuses, and a halt on foreign investments, were designed to ensure full provisioning for high-risk exposures and improve cash-based profitability metrics.
The policy had already posed concerns for financial institutions, such as FirstHoldco, with significant forbearance-linked assets.
In a circular dated June 13, 2025, and signed by Director of Banking Supervision, Dr. Olubukola Akinwunmi, CBN instructed all banks currently under regulatory forbearance to suspend the payment of dividends to shareholders, bonuses to directors and senior executives, and investments in offshore subsidiaries or new foreign ventures.
The move, according to the apex bank, was part of a broader strategy to ensure that banks operating under forbearance supervision strengthened their financial resilience and fully complied with capital adequacy and loan provisioning standards.
CBN emphasised that the restrictions were temporary and will be lifted once key conditions were met, a full exit from regulatory forbearance, and independent verification of capital and provisioning levels as being within acceptable regulatory thresholds.
Some analysts believe CBN’s move was a push to strengthen credit discipline, enhance transparency, and compel banks to clean up their balance sheets ahead of the ongoing recapitalisation exercise.
The genesis was that during the COVID-19 crisis, CBN granted forbearance to the entire banking industry to enable banks withstand the challenge posed by the pandemic.
However, the industry regulator had given a deadline of December 2024 to phase out the policy. This saw some industry players putting pressure on CBN to extend it by another year, but the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, maintained that in line with his return to orthodoxy, he would not extend the deadline, which made him to give all operators six months extra, which expires this month.
THISDAY learnt that Cardoso believed banks should not be paying dividends and bonuses to shareholders and directors while carrying forbearance. Companies, such as Neconde, Aiteo, Oando, 9mobile, and Wempco, had benefited from years of regulatory leniency, despite accumulating non-performing loans (NPLs).
Neconde, a subsidiary of Nestoil
Group, Aiteo, Oando, and others, in the oil and gas sector, had some of the highest exposures to banks; with 9mobile in the telecom sector, which had almost gone moribund, as well as Wempco in manufacturing.
THISDAY findings revealed that FirstBank had one of the highest exposures in the industry. The subsidiary of FirstHoldco had two major exposures: firstly, Aiteo, where they had two loans – a $500 million facility and another $300 million, which was a shareholder loan.
Secondly, the bank was also hit by its loan to Dangote Refineries. The Dangote loan though performing was above the Single Obligor Limit (SOL) and was allowed because of the forbearance the Dangote Group got from CBN as a result of its huge strategic national project.
For the oil and gas sector, Neconde Energy had over $3 billion, and Aiteo Energy Resources had over $2 billion.
It was, however, gathered that Oando had since restructured its loans and gone ahead to acquire AGIP, which had improved its prospects. Similarly, the oil and gas company recently announced an increase in its Reserve Based Lending (RBL2) facility to $375 million. The facility refinancing secured was led by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), with the support of Mercuria, extending the final maturity date of the facility to January 30, 2029.
This upsizing was a result of the company’s progress in deleveraging, having reduced the original $525 million RBL2 facility, signed in 2019, to $100 million by the close of 2024.
9Mobile, which was almost moribund, was a big problem.
Aiteo had restarted production and was beginning to see the green shoots. They were also affected by oil theft and other industry challenges.
Meanwhile, Rencap pointed out that the latest directive by CBN aligned with its view that the treatment of forbearance should shift to profit and loss (P&L) provisions and equity charges. It added, “We also see this measure as solving a liquidity issue, not simply asset quality, by making cash profits a better gauge of bank health than accounting profits.
“We support the CBN’s orthodox stance, and believe that this more rigid position on enforcement should provide a new policy standard on new directives; too often, the market has expected a flip-flop in policy or enforcement timing.
“The temporary suspension is expected to remain in place until banks have fully provisioned and phased out their regulatory forbearance. As a result, we expect interim and final dividend payments for banks under our coverage with significant exposure to be paused until they have made adequate provisioning for their forbearance exposure.
“Based on our estimates, Zenith Bank, FirstBank and Access have significant forbearance exposures
of 23 percent, 14 percent and four percent, respectively, of their gross loan books.”
Rencap stated, “Similarly, in line with our estimates, Fidelity Bank and FCMB, the two top tier-II banks, have forbearance exposures of 10 percent and eight percent of their gross loan books, respectively.
“In contrast, Stanbic and GTCO have zero forbearance exposure in their gross loans, based on our estimates. GTCO adequately provisioned and wrote off its forbearance exposures last year.”
The report also said, “In absolute terms, we estimate regulatory forbearance exposures at $304 million, $887 million, $134 million, $296 million, $282 million, and $1.6 billion for Access, FirstHoldco, FCMB, Fidelity Bank, UBA, and Zenith Bank respectively.
“Based on our forbearance exposure estimates, we believe FirstHoldco, Fidelity Bank and Zenith Bank could breach its SOL due to its estimated forbearance exposure.
“While forbearance exposures are not always tied to a single client, we believe they are predominantly concentrated in loans to a major Oil & Gas counterparty (particularly in the upstream and refinery subsectors).”
According to the report, since dividend pay-outs require actual cash, cash profits provide a more reliable basis for forecasting dividends than accounting profits.
Furthermore, the report pointed out that the forbearances granted by CBN to banks had transitioned from being an asset quality issue to primarily a cash flow constraint.
“Significant growth in accounting profits without a corresponding increase in cash profits will impede
banks’ ability to meet day-to-day working capital needs and reward shareholders adequately,” it added.
Rencap said, “Looking ahead to first half 2025, based on our earnings forecasts, GTCO, UBA, and Zenith Bank are expected to report positive cash earnings, while Access and FirstHoldco are projected to remain in negative territory.”
It said, conversely, Access Bank’s cash profits should improve, but remain negative due to interest expenses paid, which they expected to exceed incurred Interest Expenses by N1.9 trillion.
“Similarly, we anticipate FirstHoldco will report negative cash profits in first half 2025 due to its single-obligor NPL, with an estimated N723.9 billion gap between Interest Income received and earned,” the report added.
The report estimated that dividend payments in the industry would largely resume in 2028.
It stated, “As such, we expect dividend payments henceforth to come from the non-banking subsidiaries of the above-mentioned Groups. Given that majority of these Group’s income is primarily from their banking business; we do not see any substantial dividend payments from their non-banking subsidiaries.
“Given our expectation of an adverse market reaction, these institutions may be forced to issue additional shares at lower valuations to meet regulatory requirements.
“Consequently, we provide our estimates for the projected total shares outstanding upon completion of these banks’ recapitalisation exercises below based on multiple market valuation scenarios and their respective capital shortfalls.”
Commenting on the industry’s high Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)
nomic Summit promises to be a landmark event, driving regional integration, promoting economic cooperation, and fostering sustainable development in West Africa.
“With its unique approach and focus on private sector participation, the summit has the potential to unlock new opportunities for growth and development in the region.
“The summit will provide a platform for governments and the private sector to engage and address concerns related to security and other issues affecting business in the region.”
He also added that, “The summit’s objectives align with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) ambitions, focusing on promoting intra-African trade by strengthening regional trade and investment.”
Tuggar also pointed out that the initiative will be driven by
of 50 per cent, Rencap stated that simultaneously mandating banks to recapitalise to support lending for a $1 trillion economy by 2030, while maintaining CRR at 50 per cent was contradictory.
It said, “While the recapitalisation directive aims to strengthen banks’ capacity to lend, the 50 percent CRR severely restricts their ability to deploy funds, effectively undermining the policy’s intent.
“The feasibility of the $1 trillion GDP target is questionable, given that a core rationale for recapitalisation was to spur credit growth, an outcome now constrained by the CRR’s liquidity drain.
“With CRR at 50 percent and the liquidity ratio at 30 percent, banks are left with only 20 percent of customer deposits available for lending, well below the regulatory Loan-to-Deposit Ratio (LDR) benchmark of 50 percent. “This structural limitation makes it challenging for banks to meet domestic lending targets, even with higher capital buffers.”
In the meantime, NGX Banking Index, yesterday opened the week on a bearish note, dropping by four per cent to 1,169.74 basis points amid investors’ reaction to CBN’s fresh policy on dividend and bonuses pay-outs.
For instance, the stock price of Access Holdings dropped by 8.28 per cent to N20.50 per share, while FCMB Group dipped by 6.57 per cent to close at N9.25 per share.
The stock price of Zenith Bank Plc declined by 6.37 per cent to close trading at N47.00 per share, as First Holdco Plc stock price tumbled by 6.03 per cent to close trading at N26.50 per share.
Similarly, the stock price of UBA was down by 5.67 per cent to N34.10
the private sector. He noted that it was the private sector that will drive the initiative while the governments provide all the necessary support for them to excel.
The minister also highlighted the importance of peace and security in the region saying, “For business to take place, to thrive, the environment must be secure, emphasising the importance of collective efforts to address security challenges.”
He explained that: “The summit is not modelled after the World Economic Forum in Davos, but rather a novel, homegrown African original idea.
“We’re focusing this administration on preferring homegrown solutions to our problem, instead of copying and pasting what exists in other regions.”
Tuggar revealed that the Alliance of Sahel States, AES, are invited for the summit.
per share, while Fidelity Bank’s stock price plummeted by 4.94 per cent to close at N18.30 per share.
In addition, Sterling Financial Holdings Company’s stock price depreciated by 4.84 per cent to close at N5.50 per share, as Jaiz Bank’s stock price on NGX declined by 3.72 per cent to close at N3.11 per share.
Vice President of Highcap Securities Limited, Mr. David Adnori, in a chat with THISDAY, stated that investors’ confidence in banking stock would erode. Adnori said investors were investing in the banking stocks because of dividend pay-out.
Chief Research Officer, InvestData Consulting Limited, Mr. Omordion Ambrose, also said the stock market was expected to react to the CBN policy.
“The policy by CBN will send a negative signal to the stock market and it will be temporary,” Ambrose said.
The downward trend in banking stocks impacted the major stock market indicators. For instance, NGX All-Share Index (NGX ASI) yesterday was down by 170.77 basis points or 0.15 per cent to close at 115,258.77 basis points. Consequently,
TotalEnergies to spend 30% of capex on power business
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Oil prices are likely to remain capped below $80 per barrel despite the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, Rystad Energy, an independent research and energy intelligence company, said yesterday, as Iran and Israel continue to trade strikes with the escalation now in its fifth day.
“Based on our earlier disruption simulations, we see oil prices capped below $80 per barrel,” Rystad Energy’s Global Head of Commodities Markets (Oil), Mukesh Sahdev, said in a market update, carried by Africa Oil+Gas Report and reported by oilprice.com.
The conflict appears likely to be contained and the United States could potentially play a central role, according to Sahdev. The worst fear in the market is a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical crude flow lane where more than 20 million barrels of crude pass every day, equal to
a fifth of global daily oil consumption.
While disruption to Strait of Hormuz flows could be devastating and would send oil prices spiking and add further tensions, it is an unlikely scenario for many observers and analysts, including those at Rystad Energy.
“A blockade remains the key risk that could push markets into uncharted territory,” Rystad Energy’s Vice President, Commodities Markets (Oil), Janiv Shah, said.
However, “Given its interest in keeping prices closer to $50, the US could play a stabilising role,” Shah added. “We maintain our view that this is likely to remain a short-lived conflict, as further escalation risks spiraling beyond the control of key stakeholders,” Shah said.
Despite Israel and Iran hitting each other’s energy sites over the weekend, the targets are not material to global oil production or crude flows.
Following the oil price jump on Friday after the start of the Israeli strikes on Iran, oil was muted in early trading on Monday, with both benchmarks falling by around 1 per cent and trading in the low $70s per barrel as key oil flows from the Middle East remain unaffected.
Meanwhile, TotalEnergies plans to spend about 30 per cent of its capital expenditure (capex) on boosting its integrated power business, the Chief Executive of the French supermajor, Patrick Pouyanne, said at an energy conference on Monday.
The company looks to increase the share of the power business in its portfolio to 20 per cent by the end of the decade, the executive said at the ongoing Energy Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
When Shell, BP, and Equinor backtracked on their pivot to renewables and reduced investments in low-carbon energy solutions, TotalEnergies didn’t
have to. It has been the outlier in Europe’s Big Oil group, as it has continued growing its LNG business as the world’s second-largest LNG trader after Shell, oilprice.com said.
TotalEnergies has been also boosting lower-cost oil and gas production, alongside increasing renewable energy capacity and power generation through acquisitions and joint ventures globally.
The company supports the global push to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 and the global target is at the heart of TotalEnergies’ road map to investments and strategy by the end of the decade.
The French group invested a total of $17.8 billion in 2024, including $4.8 billion in low-carbon energy – mainly in power. This year, TotalEnergies plans capex at between $17 billion and $17.5 billion, including $4.5 billion for low carbon energies, mostly Integrated Power.
In a rapidly evolving security environment, the Nigerian Air Force,NAF, has intensified its transformative journey aimed at strengthening its operational effectiveness, modernising its assets, and enhancing its strategic footprint across the country. As it recently clocked the significant milestone of 61 years, the NAF under the stewardship of its 22nd Chief of Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, has placed emphasis on mission-oriented development, significant investments in fleet modernisation, deliberate training, infrastructure upgrades, and institutional reforms—all guided by a deep commitment to professionalism, precision, and accountability. In a candid conversation with THISDAY in a media chat during the recent commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the NAF, the CAS delved into the reality of Nigeria’s security situation, the air force’s evolving doctrine in intelligence-driven warfare, the mitigation of civilian harm, and the integration of cyber and data analytics into air operations. Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that under the present leadership, the NAF is indeed retooling itself to meet both present challenges and future contingencies as an Air Force focused not only on flying missions, but on building a legacy of excellence, resilience, and innovation
When Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar was made the 22nd Chief of Air Staff (CAS) two years ago, he promulgated a Command Philosophy “To transform the Nigerian Air Force into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets national security demands in all operational environments.”
Two years down the line, this command philosophy has become the foundation upon which a broad spectrum of reforms and innovations have been built—reforms that are now redefining the structure, capabilities, and strategic posture of the Nigerian Air Force. From comprehensive fleet modernisation and the revitalisation of grounded assets to the development of advanced training regimes and institutional frameworks, the Air Force under his leadership has pursued a clear trajectory of transformation.
Accelerating Command Philosophy
On assuming office, Air Marshal Abubakar undertook a comprehensive environmental scan of the Air Force’s strengths and weaknesses and set to work to transform the NAF.
“So on assumption of office of the 22nd Chief of Air Staff, I had to take a stalk of where we’re coming from as an Air Force, where we were at that point and determine where we wanted to go as an Air Force and what we needed to do to get to where we wanted to go. As a result of that, I carried out a very detailed environmental scan, not looking at only operations, but also other areas.
“In fact, a complete scan of all the aspects of Air Force life, logistics, aircraft maintenance, administration, civil military relations, operations, of course, and every other thing. Now, after carrying out this environmental scan, we discovered some gaps in our force structure and establishments that we needed to fill. We also discovered some deficiencies in terms of capabilities that we needed to have so that we can be more efficient and optimal as an Air Force, particularly with regard to the security situation and also looking for potentially the challenges that we’re likely to be facing maybe in the next decade or two.
“Now, having done this full environmental scan, I promulgated my command philosophy for the Nigerian Air Force, which is supposed to serve as a guide to the Nigerian Air Force as to where we want to be as an Air Force. My command philosophy is to transform the Nigerian Air Force into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the upper demands of national security in all operational environments.”
To drive this vision, five key enablers were promulgated: Optimising Force Structure and Establishments; Deliberate Training and Mission-Oriented Force Development; Proactive Logistic Support and Maintenance Culture; Research and Development, Leveraging Technology and Partnerships; and Motivation through Welfare and Infrastructure.
According to CAS, “These focal areas so that they are not our activities plans and what we do are not limited to these focal areas, but these areas are supposed to serve as guides or focal points so that we don’t dissipate time and resources without a focus. So these areas that are supposed to serve as focal points, which I call my key enablers to successfully achieving the command philosophy include, one, optimising force structure and establishment. I told you about some of the gaps we saw in terms of force structure and establishment for enhanced operational effectiveness.
“The second key enabler, deliberate training and missionoriented force development, while the third had to do with proactive logistic support and a strong maintenance culture. The fourth key enabler was a focus or a prioritization of research and development, leveraging technology, lessons learned, as well as strategic partnerships. And the last but not the least of the key enablers is ensuring a highly motivated force through enhancement of welfare and infrastructure renewal.”
Optimising Force Structure and Intelligence Enhancement
In this regard, Air Marshal explained some immediate initiatives to strengthen intelligence and operational effectiveness.
“So I will just talk briefly on some of the things we are doing along the lines of this key enablers just for ease of understanding so that we can have some perspective as to what has been going on in the past one year within the Nigerian Air Force. So starting with the first key enabler of optimising force structure and establishment for enhanced operational effectiveness, I said we discovered some gaps in terms of our establishments during the environmental scan. Now, one of the things that we saw that was very, very critical to the success of optimisation of operations was the criticality of intelligence, especially in the light of the kinds of operations that we are conducting.
“So before now, because we were built, trained as a conventional Air Force, but now here we are fighting a very unconventional war or having ourselves operating in a very unconventional environment. So therefore, we need to do a lot of redefinition and
reassignment. So one of the gaps we saw was that our intelligence gathering capabilities was not up to scratch.
“And intelligence and the operations we are conducting are highly, highly intelligence driven. So we have to do a lot of investments as far as our intelligence assets are concerned, both in terms of human capacity and in terms of equipment. As a result of this, we got into an inventory additional four airplanes dedicated to ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance). The DA62 airplanes, which came into inventory towards the end of 2023 and then the beginning of 2024. So those have significantly increased or improved our ISR capabilities. There are more assets coming.
“Also, our data analysis cells in the various data sub-operations who were supposed to gather the data, infuse them, and then turn them into actionable intelligence. We did a lot of investments in terms of training, in terms of equipment, at ISR software. So that at the end of the day, the intelligence coming out of those data cells was also much better,” he said.
Speaking on the second key enabler, which is deliberate training and mission-oriented force development. He said they saw from the environmental scan that a lot of individuals coming out of training from NAF training institutions were not meeting the requirements in the field.
“Like I said earlier, a lot of them (training institutions) were established 20 years ago, 15 years ago, and the syllabi that were applicable and appropriate at that point in time are no longer appropriate. So when these individuals come out, they are not useful to us in the field. So we had to overhaul all the syllabi of our training institutions to make sure that the courses or the products coming out of those institutions are relevant to what is required in the field.
“In The past, we also did a lot of training outside the country because, of course, the Air Force is very technical and a lot of the skills, the skill sets required to operate and maintain the aeroplanes, particularly another weapon systems, are not available here. So we procured a lot of training outside the country, but we probably did it in a haphazard way because we found that we have trained over so many years and so many people, but we still had a lot of gaps.
“So probably we were training without really identifying the exact gaps in terms of skills, knowledge, experience. We decided to strategise, and now we procure training only when we have specific gaps in terms of skills, knowledge, or experience. We also make sure that the individuals we send merit it so that we are getting the best investments, you know, the best outcome of our investments.
“We have also invested in training of our personnel in terms of data analytics because that is the future. The more well we have data and we’re able to analyse it, the more effective we’re going to be able to carry out our operations through better decision-making because of the data and information that we have available,” he posited.
On fleet modernisation and force structure optimisation he said they were lucky to also benefit from “what I would call a fleet modernisation effort by the federal government to make us much more relevant to the kind of modern operations that we are having because a lot of our assets were procured in the 70s, maybe early 80s. So of course, there are legacy systems. They are very, very incapable of carrying out the kinds of operations based on the equipment on board and their capabilities. But I’m glad to mention that the federal government has intervened.
“A lot of assets have been procured for the Nigerian Air Force. So far, in the past one year or so, we have received 15 brand new aeroplanes, including the four DS-62 I talked about. There are 60 one-to-nine attack helicopters from Turkey, which are actually the ones that turned the tide in the South-South in the fight against oil temps. Also, we have the King Air 360, which also does a bit of ISR, as well as the Augusta 109 tracker. So a total of 15, but
that’s just part of the news. We have on firm orders for additional 49 aeroplanes that are supposed to come into the inventory of the Nigerian Air Force in the next one, one and a half years because the aeroplanes are not what you can just buy off the shelf.
“You have to order, specify, they build them gradually. And even for maintenance and sustenance purposes, you don’t want to have all their fleet coming into the inventory at the same time. So therefore, the balance 49 aeroplanes are coming into the system in the next one to one and a half years. This includes additional 10 Augusta 109 trackers, which we already have two. These are light attack helicopters. They’re not fully combat helicopters, but you can do light attacks with them.
“Those are the helicopters that are currently containing some of the challenges we have in the Southeast. They are very suited for that operation. We also have the M346 fighter ground attack aeroplane. We are having 24 of that coming into the inventory, starting maybe in the next three months we’ll have the initial batch coming into the system. These are very modern fighter ground attack aeroplanes that are very suited with a lot of precision strike capability and modern avionics. So they’re able to do a lot more than what the aeroplane we have in the inventory that is performing that symbol currently is doing, which is the Alpha Jet, which is a legacy aeroplane that is about 50 years old in the inventory.
“Those aeroplanes will replace that and they will very significantly improve our capacity as far as that airport is concerned. We also have three CASA 295 aeroplanes which are light transport on their own and tactical mix aircraft that are coming in. And then we have the almighty PH-1 Zulu Cobra helicopter. These are fully dedicated attack helicopters, which are also very, very suited to the kinds of operations we are doing. These are coming from the United States of America. It’s a complete package with training, weapons systems, ground support equipment, total package.
“So with all these aeroplanes coming with very modern systems, precision strike capabilities, a lot of capabilities for ISR and a lot of other systems that will really enable us to operate optimally and address not only the current challenges we’re having, but even challenges that we can foresee maybe in the next decade or two.
“Still regarding our fleet, we were also just as a stopgap measure because the AlphaJet has done very well and it’s still what we have. Before we optimise the use of the M3 forces coming, we still have to operate the AlphaJet for some time. So we bought or procured nine pre-owned aircraft AlphaJets from the French Air Force. They are still in fairly good condition and they are what we are using to sustain some of the theatres currently. We have also invested very significantly in some of the aeroplanes that have been in the system but have not been operable for quite some time.
“So our ATL-42 aeroplanes, our MI-35s, MI-171. As a matter of fact, we just deployed the MI-171 which is also a very formidable helicopter, capable of night operations and ground attack, including cannons, bombs, and rockets. It’s very formidable. We just deployed it to the northeast about a week ago. The MI-135 is also on its way. All these aeroplanes have been in the system for quite some time for reasons of serviceability, spares, and training.
“We couldn’t fly them but they’re all coming back gradually. Same thing with the Belfour 12s as well as the Super Puma helicopter. They are all coming back into the inventory. When we came back, the decision we took was that every aeroplane in the Nigerian Air Force that is operable will be returned back to serviceability status. And I think we have achieved up to 90 per cent of that target as of date”.
Still, in terms of optimising the force structure, CAS said they realised that there are a lot of limitations in terms of their airfield infrastructure, as quite a few of them where they operate from do not have facilities. “For example, instrument landing systems, runway lights, and even sufficient hangarage. And that limited what we could do. It means we can’t operate at night. And of course, you know the adversaries are much more active at night. So we have to do a lot of investments to upgrade a lot of our airfield infrastructure with instrument landing systems, with runway lights, hangars, expansion of aprons, and a whole lot of government activities around the airfields. Some of these airfields include Enugu, Otakot, Makodi, Katuna, Bauchi, Katsina. All these airfields where we carry out, we launch our operations in the various
theatres and they are all basically currently upgraded or are currently undergoing a lot of upgrades.”
Establishing Institutions to Support Force Structure
Admitting that force structures need viable support in strong institutions he said: “Still looking at our force structure because we had to do a lot of that. You need to have a very good structure for you to, that will be the foundation for every other thing that you do. If you don’t have a good structure then every other thing is not likely to be able to stand the test of time. So still talking about force structure, we have to establish a few institutions and offices also to complement or to optimise our structure to be able to further enhance our capacity for air operations.
“The issues we have had with collateral damage, with civilian harm, and the effect that it has had in terms of our operations because, of course, like I said, the adversary is within. A lot of times you have to, and that’s why it’s very highly intelligence-driven. I also need a lot of precision otherwise every day you go out there you’re going to have civilians who are not supposed to be harmed, getting harmed.
“So we had to establish a very robust organisation of branch statutes that we call Civil-Military Relations Branch that will coordinate a lot of our activities in terms of civil-military relations, particularly with a focus on civilian harm mitigation.”
Giving an instance with the seminar that took place the day of the interview, where the NAF unveiled a policy document on their civilian harm mitigation action and response plan, he said the important document will guide their activities going forward, not only to minimise civilian harm in their operations, but also in case it does happen, all the actions that they will go through to alleviate it and then to make sure that it doesn’t happen in the future.
Also in line with force structures, he said they established the Transformation and Innovation Branch to take care of the research and development and to encourage other innovative activities. Also established was the Directorate of Peace Support Operations, Directorate of Land Administration, Directorate of Airworthiness and Certification, which is responsible or will be responsible for certifying their aeroplanes, personnel, in terms of their qualification and really making sure that standards are met and maintained in terms of carrying out their both flying and maintenance activities.
“We also established the Directorate of Cyber Warfare, which, of course, in the light of technology and the threats in the cyber domain, we need to have an establishment that also will look at that and develop a lot of capacity in that particular sphere. We also established the Airpower Centre of Excellence, which will combine the Air Warfare Centre that is currently in Makurdi, the Air Warfare Doctrine Centre, also, which is here in Abuja, the Institute of Airpower Studies, and then the Airground Integration School.
“All these institutes that are currently
security against transnational threats.
“It was very important forum where chiefs of the Air Staff of African countries come together to discuss, look at the security situation in the whole of the African continent, leverage each other’s strengths and see how we can also alleviate each other’s weaknesses and see how we can really cooperate across borders to address some of the common challenges that are plaguing the continent as a whole. So it’s a very important forum for us. And by virtue of our position as the giant of Africa, it’s also very important that we are playing leadership role in this forum. That is why we have been hosting this forum,” he added.
While noting that the security landscape is becoming more dynamic from the northeast, “where we have been conducting counterterrorism operations. In the northwest, where we have been conducting anti-nuclear and anti-terrorism operations. In the south-south, in the southeast,” Air Marshal Abubakar added that, “in the various sectors of operations that we have been carrying out operations, as you are aware, essentially, internal security operations, meaning that the adversary is within.
Given the nature of these operations and the nature of the adversary, he said the importance of having a very robust, objective and diligent reportage by the media cannot be overemphasised, a role he noted that they have been so far very diligently and effectively.
on their own and probably not operating optimally, we established the Airpower Centre of Excellence so that all these schools come into one environment and so they can complement each other in terms of manpower, in terms of resources, and generally synergise and optimise whatever is coming out of any of those schools. We also established the Air Force College of Logistics to take care of all our logistics needs. We did a lot of work to ensure that we are not duplicating because there is an Army College of Logistics, there are so many other logistics institutes or civilian schools where you can learn about logistics courses, and we do not want to just duplicate or waste our resources while we can obtain what we wanted to do in other places.
“But what we realised after a very detailed study is that our own challenges, as far as that is concerned, cannot be sorted or are not available in all these other institutions. So we needed to have something very specialised that would take care of our own needs based on our own peculiar activities and needs. That was why we established that. So that has also come on board to address some of the challenges we have in terms of manpower, structures, and the like.”
NAF at 61
The Nigerian Air Force recently celebrated its 61st anniversary, a milestone marked by a series of very formidable activities including civil-military relations engagements, aerial flypasts, aerial displays, and research and development competitions.
To this the CAS said they have every reason to be proud, to be thankful to God, and to be happy and to celebrate. He said: “Looking at where we are coming from, when the Air Force was established in 1964 by the Act of Parliament, and we started as a very small arm of the Armed Forces, a very tactical Air Force that was capable of very limited activities, specifically tactical troop transport within the theatres of operation, and going through a lot of transformation, where we are today, an Air Force that is capable of carrying out operations with strategic effects far beyond even the borders of Nigeria.
“And also having a lot of additional capabilities in terms of assets, weapons systems, skills and experience. So we have every reason to be very proud of our achievements. Also, we are now the fourth largest Air Force on the African continent. And we are on our way to probably becoming the second and maybe even the first eventually due to our size, our capabilities and the array of assets that we have in our inventory. So I think the Nigerian Air Force deserves a lot of applause.”
Meanwhile, one of the standouts of the anniversary was the hosting of the fourth edition of the African Air Forces Forum in Lagos, which attracted over 100 delegates from 34 countries including Air Chiefs, senior air force officers, defence attachés, and aviation industry leaders, to push for strengthened collaboration in aerospace innovations to enhance regional
On operational successes, Air Marshal Abubakar gave a detailed overview of the past year’s air missions. “Within the past one year, sometime between 2023, towards the end of 2023 and 2024, Nigerian Air Force flew about 10,500 hours in close to 7,000 sorties which was as a result of about 6,000 missions in the various theatres of operations, of course, including arm breaking, air interdiction, intelligence surveillance, air reconnaissance, close air support, tactical airlifts, the complete gamut of air operations in the various theatres. Now, all these missions contributed decisively to attainment of operational objectives and improvement of our national security in the various theatres of operations.
“Especially following our three-pronged approach which has to do with leadership decapitation, logistics triangulation, and of course, denial of the adversary, the use of force in the various theatres. Using this three-pronged approach, we have made very significant progress. A lot of the terrorist leadership and their followers have been eliminated.
“I don’t want to give you numbers because a lot of numbers have been bandied. But we have very credible statistics which have been verified through our ISR and also human intelligence in the various theatres. But suffice it to say that a very large number of terrorist leadership as well as their followers in all the theatres have been neutralised.
“A lot of also logistic structures including vehicles, motorcycles, storage areas have also been destroyed. Similarly, within that period of one year, a lot of terrorists and their families are surrendering in particularly the Northeast and the Northwest. So far in the past one year, we have about 121,000 and the numbers are increasing daily. So we’re making a lot of progress as far as the conduct of our operations are concerned in the various theatres of operations,” he disclosed.
Regarding economic sabotage in the oilrich South-South region, the Air Marshal noted that “In the South-South, sometime in 2023, it was reported that Nigeria lost about $23 billion to oil thefts. Following that, sometime in 2023, we escalated our operations particularly with the projection of air power in that particular theatre. And towards the end of 2023 to mid-2024, our daily production increased by 13 per cent from what we were having at about 1.5 million barrels per day we got to about 1.8 million barrels per day at some points.
“The terminal factor recently reported through all the pipelines has been 90 per cent and above, meaning that all the lines are green. So also in that theatre, talking about improving or containing the economic sabotage and improving our revenues from oil is a lot of improvement. It’s a work in progress. The target is to, of course, attain our peak quota of production, which is above 2 million barrels per day. So we’re working on that and hopefully we’ll be able to attain that very soon.”
Undoubtedly, under the leadership of Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, the Nigerian Air Force is steadily evolving into a more capable, responsive, and forward-looking institution—fully aligned with national security imperatives and ready to meet emerging challenges across all domains of warfare.
‘To those who raise the alarm that the APC is intent on a one-party State, I offer you a most personal promise …..at no time in the past, nor any instance in the present, and at no future juncture, shall I view the notion of the one-party State as good for Nigeria’. - HE
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
‘You cannot be flaunting yourself as a Democrat on the one hand, and on the other, trampling democracy under your big Presidential foot in Rivers State….As long as any part of Nigeria is under military rule, democracy is endangered in Nigeria as a whole - Senator Seriake Dickson, Lawyer; PDP Senator representing Bayelsa West; Immediate Past Governor, Bayelsa State
PROF MIKE OZEKHOME, CON, SAN, FCIArb, PH.D. LLD
Constitutional Democracy, means a system of government, in which political and governmental power, is defined, limited and shared by a grundnorm called the Constitution, which provides inbuilt checks and balances.
This column seeks to fiercely discuss constitutional, legal and political issues, with a view to strengthening, deepening and widening the plenitude and amplitude of democracy and good governance, without fear or favour.
The writer of this column, Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is a Constitutional Lawyer, Human Rights Activist, Pro-Democracy Campaigner, Notary Public and Motivational Speaker. He co-founded the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Nigeria’s pioneer human rights league, on October 15, 1987, the Universal defenders of Democracy (UDD), in 1992, and with Chief Gani Fawehinmi and others in 1998, the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON), to push out the military. In his early days, he lectured at the University of Ife. Prof Ozekhome is an author of many books. He is also a Special Counsel at the International Criminal Court (ICC), at The Hague.
Concept of Impracticability of Performance under the Doctrine of Frustration
Page IV
NBA-SBL Regulatory Clinic Returns for 2025 Conference
Page V
Borno State Launches e-Justice Project, Partners With LawPavilion
Page V
New Leaders Emerge for NAJUC Ikeja
Page V
Introduction
Let me state that, while I have no interest in joining issues with anybody, and I do agree that not just the Judiciary, but the legal profession as a whole, and most other sectors and institutions in Nigeria, even the family, require deep cleansing and possibly, a reset; but, in trying to do these repairs and moral rearmament, constructive, and not destructive criticism is required. The latter’s name is self-explanatory - it is destructive and counterproductive, achieving nothing but the enhancement of toxicity in more ways than we can count, all over the country.
I recall seeing something on social media during the Buhari administration, in which Malam Nasiru El-Rufai had been asked why, as Governor of Kaduna State, he had made a u-turn on his stand about paying ransom to kidnappers to free abductees. Before his tenure as Governor and as a strong member of the opposition, Malam El-Rufai had stated that Government must do whatever it takes to free victims. As Governor, he recanted and said Government must not pay ransom to kidnappers. He then added that, even if the incumbent Government is doing well, as the opposition, they criticise their policies even if they are good! This type of attitude which is what we see from disgruntled Politicians and those who have an axe to grind, is unhelpful, dangerous, destructive criticism. Such critics use it as a means to discredit and breed enmity between the public and those who they criticise, in order to sway the hearts of the same people to their own side. Certainly, the goals of betterment that should be achieved, will not be reached by disgruntled Politicians, ethnic ‘gingoists’ (pretending that they are fighting for the implementation of Federal Character as per Section 13(3) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, when they were silent when their own ethnic groups held the best positions), those who have an axe to grind because the 2023 elections didn’t favour their candidates, and rumour mongers spreading falsehood and bile to the unknowing public, igniting the flames of hatred and generally heating the polity. And, this is certainly not what Nigeria needs.
For instance, the Hausa/Fulani (though different are lumped as one), Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups, have always been considered to be the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Take for example, INEC, FEDECO, ECN, or whichever name the Nigerian Electoral Commission has been known by. From its establishment in 1959 to date, the Commission has never been headed by a Yoruba man. Someone had told me that the rationale behind INEC, was that none of these aforementioned three majority ethnic groups should ever head the Commission, to allow for better objectivity/impartiality from the Head of the Commission. But, when this rule was broken in 1989 and 2005 by appointing two Igbos as INEC Chairmen, Prof Humphrey Nwosu and Prof Maurice Iwu respectively, I don’t remember hearing any outcry against it, at least, not concerning their ethnicity. Similarly, in the last 15 years, the Commission has been headed by Prof Attahiru Jega and then Prof Mahmood Yakubu who is about to complete his second term (first in INEC’s history to do two terms), both possibly Hausa/Fulani. If President Tinubu appoints a Yoruba man as INEC Chairman, he will be accused of ‘Yorubanisation’, even though out of the three major ethnic groups and the three Southern zones, the Yorubas (Southwest) are the only ones who have never been appointed as INEC Chairman. But, my question is, how progressive is this kind of thinking? Should it be about tribe, or the brightest and the best for the job? I believe that the latter is the correct answer, whatever the person’s ethnic origin.
And, before anybody goes up in arms to say that they could use the same argument that the Southeast hasn’t yet produced a President in this Republic, we cannot ignore the fact that election and appointment are two different things. And, it appears that Politicians in the major political parties, including those of Igbo origin, aren’t committed to producing an Igbo President. The Igbo Presidential Aspirants must emerge from party primaries as the Presidential candidates of the major parties. If this had been the case in the 2022 PDP and APC Primaries, the electorate would have voted for one or the other Igbo candidate. Unfortunately, even the Igbo delegates in these two parties didn’t vote for their people!
Unsubstantiated Allegations Against the JSC
On Friday, I saw a post made by a platform called “The Nigeria Lawyer” on social media, citing posts by Prof Chidi Odinkalu accusing a Justice of the Supreme Court (JSC) of impropriety for being at Protea Hotel, Edo State, and allegedly being in the company of the Edo State Attorney-General, coinciding with the time when an appeal was lodged at the Supreme Court against the Edo State Governor by the PDP Candidate, following the Edo State Gubernatorial election. The video of the gentleman who was allegedly named as the JSC, circulated to buttress the point was unclear, and even though the silhouette of a man could be seen, the identity of the man couldn’t be properly ascertained in the video that made the rounds. And, even if indeed, it was the JSC in the video, it was clear that his arrival at the place was in broad day light, and that he was alone, not in the company of anybody.
onIkepo
“The way to bring about positive reform of the Judiciary, is not by spreading rumours. Holistic measures must be taken….And, the way to bring about progress in the country, is not by entrenching ethnic division, but rather, by pooling our resources together, and united, facing the issues that confront us as a country. After all, poverty and hunger, are not tribalistic - they affect everyone”
My first observation is that, it is interesting that the video that is strangely being used to push a narrative that the JSC went to meet AG Edo for some shady meeting in the night, showed only a man during the daytime, and not two people, the man and the AG. If the video was meant to corroborate the narrative that was posted about the JSC, it did not, at least not for me, a Lawyer of almost 34 years standing, or any Lawyer worth his salt, as the video doesn’t even reach the level of circumstantial evidence. It only showed that the man in the video, even if it was the JSC, arrived at a place.
In Ayinde v State (2023) LPELR-60153 (SC) per Amina Adamu Augie, JSC the Supreme Court held that “…the circumstantial evidence sufficient to support a conviction must be cogent, complete and unequivocal. It must be compelling, and must lead to the irresistible conclusion that the Prisoner, and no one else, is the murderer. The facts must be incompatible with innocence of the Accused, and incapable of explanation upon any other reasonable hypotheses than that of his guilt”. I submit that the video posted by Prof Odinkalu, certainly does not meet the threshold set in Ayinde v State (Supra) - it wasn’t cogent, compelling, unequivocal or complete - far from it! Aside from the fact that it only showed that the person in the video entered a lobby, and certainly proves nothing but the fact that he entered the place, the statement which has since been issued by the Supreme Court that the JSC had sought and obtained the permission of the CJN to attend a funeral in Benin, trumps any other unsubstantiated hypothesis proffered by Prof Odinkalu.
I recall that when the Supreme Court judgement in Sunday Jackson’s murder case was delivered, Prof Odinkalu issued a statement in which, like so many others, he showed his dissatisfaction with the decision affirming Mr Jackson’s conviction for killing Mr Bawuro, a Fulani Herdsman. In his submission on the
Jackson case, Prof Odinkalu made a statement which showed that he didn’t verify his facts fully, nor could he have read the 5 judgements in the case, or that, if he did, he preferred to suppress the fact that the Head of the Panel, Hon. Justice Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, JSC had delivered a dissenting judgement allowing Mr Jackson’s appeal, setting aside his conviction and recommending that the Adamawa Governor exercise the prerogative of mercy in his favour. Instead, Prof Odinkalu stated thus: “The miracle in this case, is how the court reached a unanimous judgement”; this part of his submission, was absolutely false. In a bid to bash the Supreme Court, spread bile and further turn the public against the Judiciary, Prof Odinkalu, didn’t mind disseminating a lie. What veracity can we then attach to his statements without proof or irresistible circumstantial evidence, if he is able to disseminate a blatant falsehood which could easily be verified by reading the judgements in Jackson’s case? Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of Federal Republic of Nigeria Though the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of Federal Republic of Nigeria 2016 (CCJO) may be considered to be somewhat of a derogation from some of the fundamental rights guaranteed Nigerians, such as Sections 39(1), 40 & 41(1) of the Constitution, that is, freedom of expression, association and movement (also see Section 45(1) of the Constitution and Rule 5 of the CCJO), as it has robust rules regulating the behaviour of judicial officers in Nigeria, the rules are designed to uphold the integrity of judicial office. If attending the funeral of the Mother of a recent President of the African Bar Association with the permission of CJN (see Rule 14.3 of the CCJO) is considered to be controversial by Prof Odinkalu and the Nigeria Lawyer, because Justices are no longer allowed to travel nor visit places for fear that
they may run into litigants that have cases in their courts, then all judicial officers should never go anywhere, even the hospital or places of worship, aside from sitting in their courts! There is obviously a remedy for this in Rule 12.1 of the CCJO, which allows judicial officers to disqualify themselves from cases in which their impartiality can genuinely be questioned. Litigants may also apply to Heads of Court for their matters to be reassigned, where they allege bias on the part of the Judge. In the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal at the Court of Appeal, that is, Atiku Abubakar v Muhammadu Buhari, the then President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa voluntarily withdrew from sitting on the Panel, or maybe not so voluntarily, because the Petitioner had also applied for her Lordship to recuse herself from the case because her husband and son were card-carrying members of the APC, and at the time, her husband was also a Senator-elect on the APC platform. See the case of R v Sussex Justices Ex parte McCarthy 1924 1 K.B. 259 where the Court held that “Justice must not only be done, but also seen as done”. Also see Rafiu Womiloju & Ors v Ogisanyin-Anibire & Ors (2010) LPELR-3503(SC) per Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, JSC (later CJN) on what must be established to prove allegations of likelihood of bias.
Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners
Part IV of the Legal Practitioners Act 2004 (LPA) Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023 (RPC) sets out how the Legal Practitioner should conduct relations with the court, and Section 31(1) thereof provides that a Lawyer shall treat the court with respect, dignity and honour. The RPC, nevertheless, recognises the fact that a Lawyer can have a complaint against a judicial officer, and provides that such complaint should be made to the appropriate authorities (see Section 31(2) of the RPC), instead of scandalising judicial officers in public without ample evidence. As Lawyers, Officers in the Temple of Justice, it is not only our duty but our training, not to be reckless in our utterances, and refrain from hurling false/unsubstantiated allegations at people/judicial officers which may tend to damage their reputation, bringing them down in the estimation of right thinking members of society without proof, when we know that, in law, this is called defamation. They may even be attacked physically by members of the public, with these kinds of unproven/false damaging narratives. In Emmanuel v Felix & Ors (2022) LPELR-57960(CA) per Jamilu Yammama Tukur, JCA (as he then was) the Court of Appeal held thus: "The tort of defamation aims at punishing and thereby, discouraging the act of communicating false statements about a person that injure the reputation of that person. The Black's Law Dictionary 8th Edition defines defamation as ''the act of harming the reputation of another by making a false statement to a third person. A false written or oral statement that damages another's reputation''.
Conclusion
It appears that by their utterances and publications, Prof Odinkalu and the Nigeria Lawyer have issued defamatory statements against the JSC and the Supreme Court. A person who wasn’t shy to push a false narrative that the Sunday Jackson judgement which was a split decision, was unanimous, just to disparage the Supreme Court, would be only too glad to disseminate any photos or videos of a clandestine meeting between the JSC and Edo AG if indeed, any such thing exists. The video circulated, goes to no issue. This is not to say that the Supreme Court, all JSCs or all judicial officers are perfect. No. Judicial officers need to take their judicial oath and the CCJO more seriously, as indeed, there are bad eggs within their ranks - some corrupt, some inept. But, my point is that, we cannot tar everybody with the same brush of iniquity, or frame them with guilt without proof, simply to scandalise them. Such destructive behaviour only further erodes public confidence in the Judiciary, and does absolutely nothing to improve it.
A good deal of bad behaviour perpetrated by Lawyers, especially the Senior ones - forum shopping; filing multiple actions; filing frivolous cases (see Section 14(1), (2)(e) & 32 of the RPC) and bringing the courts into odium and opprobrium with their abusive statements, particularly when they lose a case, qualify not just as defamation, but also as professional misconduct/infamous conduct - see Section 11 of the LPA on penalties for unprofessional conduct. Maybe when the LPDC becomes more up and doing in its duty to deal with erring legal practitioners, will we begin to see restraint and better behaviour from Lawyers. The way to bring about positive reform of the Judiciary, is not by spreading rumours. Holistic measures must be taken, including creating a better, transparent recruitment process of judicial officers based on merit and integrity, while the NJC must concentrate on instilling discipline and not sparing erring judicial officers. And, the way to bring about progress in the country, is not by entrenching ethnic division, but rather, by pooling our resources together, and united, facing the issues that confront us as a country. After all, poverty and hunger, are not tribalistic - they affect everyone.
s
Fact
The Respondent, a private limited liability company engaged in the business of mixed farming, obtained a loan of N1,161,818.00 from the Appellant to support its business. A total sum of N1,018,616.05 was disbursed to the Respondent in tranches, with the first tranche disbursed on 16th August, 1988. The Respondent used the borrowed funds to purchase 446 cows for rearing, and for other farming activities. The project was insured by the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Company. In early 1989, an outbreak of Contagious Bovine Pleuro-Pneumonia (CBPP) ravaged the Respondent’s cattle, and all the drugs administered on the diseased cattle by the Veterinary Department of the Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture on the diseased cattle, did not cure them or contain the outbreak. The Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Company, upon becoming aware of the situation, cancelled its undertaking to cover the project, refunded the premium, and made an ex gratia payment to the Appellant. The disease led to the death of 428 cows, leaving the Respondent with only 18 cows. The Respondent brought this development to the attention of the Appellant, however, it continued to pay the loan until it repaid the sum of N1,055,6216.00. The Respondent wrote to the Appellant, appealing for a waiver of the interest on the loan. Subsequently, the Appellant wrote to the Respondent demanding it to pay the sum of N877,736.04, or risk the auctioning of its assets.
Consequently, the Respondent filed an action at the High Court of Kwara State seeking inter alia, a declaration that the loan contract was frustrated by an Act of God, namely an epidemic of cattle disease, and having repaid a substantial part of the loan, it was discharged from any further liability to the Appellant. The Appellant’s case, on the other hand, was that the Respondent was still indebted to the Appellant to the full tune of the principal and interest on the loan. After the conclusion of trial, the trial court delivered judgement in which it granted the Respondent’s claims, and found that the CBPP outbreak was a force majeure event that frustrated the contract and discharged the Respondent from any further liability to the Appellant. Dissatisfied, the Appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal which affirmed the trial court’s findings, and dismissed the appeal. Thereafter, the Appellant filed a further appeal at the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court considered the first issue raised by the Appellant, which it opined was the only viable issue for determination, as follows: Whether the Court of Appeal was wrong having regard to the established facts in addition to the Insurance Company's letter (Exhibit 5), in holding that what happened to the Respondent's project was an Act of God which frustrated the whole contract that existed between the Appellant and the Respondent.
Counsel for the Appellant contended that the finding of the Court of Appeal that the CBPP outbreak was an act of God which frustrated the contract, was at variance with the evidence of the Respondent’s witness that the disease was common to cows. He argued that the outbreak was neither unforeseeable nor unavoidable, hence, the lower court’s conclusion was speculative and perverse. Counsel maintained that the disease did not meet the legal threshold for force majeure, as it was foreseeable and controllable. He argued further that the loan agreement contained no clause excusing repayment due to an Act of God, and that the obligation to repay was absolute. Counsel also argued that the loan advanced to the Respondent covered more than cattle rearing - extending to crops, buildings, and equipment - yet, the Respondent failed to show specifically which portion of the loan it spent on the purchase of the cattle. He argued that this lack of specific evidence undermined the Respondent’s case. Counsel urged the Court to allow the appeal, and overturn the judgement of the Court of Appeal. In response, Counsel for the Respondent argued that the core purpose of the loan was for cattle breeding and rearing, not the broader “project” suggested by the Appellant. Counsel stated that the Respondent used the loan to purchase 446 heads of cattle, which were almost entirely wiped out within weeks by the CBPP epidemic. The Respondent’s Counsel argued that the scale and rapid spread of the disease, which left only 18 cattle alive, was unforeseeable and beyond
In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at abuja On Friday, the 17th day of January, 2025 Before their lordships uwani Musa abba aji adamu Jauro Chioma egondu Nwosu-Iheme Obande Festus Ogbuinya Habeeb adewale Olumuyiwa abiru Justices, Supreme Court SC/307/2006
BaNK OF aGRICuLTuRe LIMITed
Between
aPPeLLaNT And SaLeM FaRMS LIMITed ReSPONdeNT (Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Habeeb Adewale Olumuyiwa Abiru, JSC)
control, fitting the legal definitions of both force majeure and Act of God. He clarified that the phrase “common to cows,” used by the Respondent’s witness meant the disease was peculiar to cattle, not that its outbreak in epidemic form was expected. Counsel also stated that the evidence on record of the intervention of the Veterinary Department of the Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture and their inability to contain the disease outbreak, reinforced the lower court’s conclusion that the incident was an unforeseeable disaster. Counsel added that the Respondent had an operational farm prior to the loan and used the funds specifically for cattle farming, as evidenced during trial. He concluded that the lower court’s finding that the outbreak frustrated the loan contract was sound and supported by the evidence, and urged the Apex Court to uphold the decision and dismiss the appeal.
“where, by reason of an unanticipated event, the performance of a contract by a party becomes overly burdensome and onerous, with extreme and unreasonable difficulty, it will constitute a viable excuse to the party for not discharging its obligation under the contract”
of the contract’s object. The Court held further that under the doctrine of frustration, a contract may be discharged, if after its formation, events occur making its performance illegal, impossible or commercially sterile. The Court cited MAZIN ENGINEERING LIMITED v TOWVER ALUMINIUM (NIGERIA) LTD (1993) 5 NWLR (PT. 295) 526 and also referred to its decision in OBAYUWANA v GOVERNOR BENDEL STATE (1982) LPELR-2160 (SC). The Court held that the concept of impracticability of performance postulates that where, by reason of an unanticipated event, the performance of a contract by a party becomes overly burdensome and onerous, with extreme and unreasonable difficulty, it will constitute a viable excuse to the party for not discharging its obligation under the contract. The Court held that these excuse doctrines do not need to be expressly stated in the agreement for them to apply, however a promisor seeking to excuse himself from performance of his obligations on the basis of frustration of contract, is required by the law to prove that the risk of the frustrating event was not reasonably foreseeable and that the value of counter-performance is totally or nearly totally destroyed. The Court held that in determining whether a supervening event has occasioned impracticability of performance thereby, frustrating the contract, the court must consider whether or not the impracticability is temporary or permanent; whether the party raising the issue of impracticability demonstrated that it made diligent and reasonable efforts to avoid the consequence of the unexpected circumstances and whether the supervening event was not reasonably foreseeable. The Apex Court held further that, the fact that an act occurs frequently does not take it out of the realm of reasonable foreseeability; what it does is to increase the threshold of the magnitude of such act that will qualify as an uncontemplated act. The Supreme Court held that in the instant case, there was no evidence on record showing that the manner in which the Contagious Bovine PleuroPneumonia (CBPP) ravaged the cattle farm of the Respondent a few weeks after the Respondent purchased the cattle and caused the death of 428 heads of cattle was the usual manner that the CBPP operates in cattle farms. The Court held that in the absence of such evidence, the magnitude of the outbreak on the Respondent’s cattle farm must qualify as an uncontemplated act, outside the scope of reasonable foreseeability. The Apex Court held further that there was also evidence that the Respondent took out an insurance cover for the farm with the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Company, and that upon the onset of the disease, it involved the Veterinary Department of the Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in an effort to contain the disease, but that all the interventions including the administration of known drugs failed to stop the scourge of the disease. The Court held that these show that, the Respondent took reasonable care to preempt and contain the disease, thus, contrary to the arguments of the Appellant’s Counsel, the finding of the lower Court that the outbreak of the disease “was an unforeseen peril/disaster that could not have been guarded against by the exercise of reasonable care” was supported by the case made out on the record of proceedings.
Court’s Judgement and Rationale
In resolving the sole issue, the Supreme Court held that although the principle of the sanctity of contracts insists upon the literal performance of contracts even though a supervening event has occurred that interferes with the debtor’s performance, or that reduces the creditor’s counter-performance; on the other hand, the counter-principle of “changed circumstances” recognises that parties often enter contracts on the basis of certain shared but unexpressed assumptions, and being busy rather than clairvoyant, they do not foresee a circumstance that may destroy a basic assumption on which they contracted. The Court held that this principle recognises that a debtor’s performance ought to be excused, when the unforeseen circumstance imposes unreasonable hardship or extreme onerousity, even though his performance is not absolutely impossible.
The Apex Court held that while contractual promises are generally absolute and enforceable, the law also provides for doctrines such as impossibility, impracticability of performance, and frustration of purpose, which are implied terms under common law. The Supreme Court held that at common law, there are three kinds of events that produce an almost automatic excuse for non-performance on the ground of impracticability and these are: (a) the supervening death or incapacity of a person who was to perform skilled, unique or highly personal services; (b) where a supervening illegality prohibits performance of the contract; and (c) where there is a supervening destruction
The Court held that mere hardship or inconvenience is not sufficient to invoke the doctrine of frustration or impracticability, but in this case, the facts established extreme onerousity, justifying the Respondent’s partial non-performance.
On the contention of the Appellant’s Counsel that the promise to repay the loan was an absolute one, and that there was no provision in the agreement excusing performance, the Supreme Court reiterated that the excuse of performance of contract doctrines are principles of common law which are imposed as implied terms into a contract upon the occurrence of the frustrating event, and they need not be specifically provided for in a contract for them to be invoked. The Court found that the main purpose of the loan was the establishment of a cattle farm, and that this purpose was destroyed by the outbreak of CBPP, thereby frustrating the very foundation of the contract.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court upheld the findings of the two lower courts, holding that the outbreak of the CBPP disease and its devastating impact on the Respondent’s cattle farm, constituted a valid excuse under the doctrine of frustration and commercial impracticability.
Appeal Dismissed.
O. J. Ajakpovi for the Appellant. Olasunkanmi T. Olorunisola with G. Eteowo for the Respondent.
Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)(An affiliate of Babalakin & Co.)
Stories by Steve Aya
The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) has announced the return of its Regulatory Clinic, as part of the upcoming 19th Annual International Business Law Conference, taking place from July 2nd to 4th, 2025 at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Regulatory Clinic, now in its third year, has become a cornerstone of the NBA-SBL Conference experienceoffering a rare platform where commercial, legal practitioners, and regulators converge for open, solution-driven dialogue. First introduced at the 2022 Conference, the Regulatory Clinic was born out of the need to bridge persistent communication gaps between private sector actors and regulatory authorities. Since then, it has provided a unique space for practical engagement, enabling participants to gain clarity on complex compliance requirements, discuss pain points, and collaboratively explore policy improvements across various sectors.
Commenting on this year’s
edition, Ms Solape Peters, Chair of the 2025 Conference Planning Committee, noted:
“The Regulatory Clinic is one of the most anticipated components of the NBA-SBL Conference, because it delivers real-world impact. It’s where law and policy meet day-today business challenges, and we encourage professionals and enterprises to help shape this year’s agenda by taking our pre-event poll.”
The Borno State Ministry of Justice, through its digital transformation initiatives, has launched a landmark e-Justice project in collaboration with LawPavilion, marking a decisive shift in how justice is administered in the State. The event, which was held at the Government Secretariat in Maiduguri, was graced by the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum MNI, FNSE, CON, who unveiled the initiative, signalling a new era where efficiency, transparency, and technology converge to deliver justice that is timely, accessible, and data-informed.
The Managing Director of LawPavilion, Mr Ope Olugasa said in a statement that: “What began as a modest plan to establish an e-Library has since
The Ikeja Branch of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents (NAJUC), has elected new leaders who will run the group for the next two years. The swearing-in took place on Thursday, at the NAJUC Press Centre inside the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. Journalists, court reporters, and invited guests were present to witness the peaceful handover of leadership. Mr Azeez Folorunso from Rulers’ World Magazine
Who Should Participate?
•Business owners and entrepreneurs
•In-house legal Counsel
As part of its commitment to inclusivity and relevance, NBASBL is inviting stakeholders to participate in a short pre-event poll. The goal is to identify the most pressing regulatory issues, faced by professionals and entrepreneurs today. Insights from the poll, will inform the selection of focus areas and the structure of this year’s clinic.
and compliance officers
•Law firm practitioners
•Startups and Fintech •Industry association representatives •Regulatory professionals In a statement, she said ‘The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBASBL) serves as a platform, for fostering collaboration between the legal profession and the business community. Through initiatives like the Regulatory Clinic, NBA-SBL continues to play a leading role in shaping responsive, transparent, and enabling business environments in Nigeria.’
evolved into a comprehensive transformation, spanning digital infrastructure, physical workspace upgrades, and internal organisational reforms. The journey has redefined the Ministry’s identity with the development of a new mission, vision, and core values reflective of a forward-facing justice institution”.
According to Borno State Attorney-General, Hauwa Abubakar Isa, “The Ministry is aligning itself with global standards, to ensure that legal professionals in Borno State are well positioned to meet the realities of a rapidly advancing world”. She further explained that the newly launched Case Management System (CMS) simplifies workflow, enhances access to justice, and improves overall efficiency. The
Case Management System also features tailored dashboards for the Attorney-General, Solicitor-General, Directors and State Counsel, enabling real-time performance tracking, accountability, and data-driven oversight of legal workflows across departments. One of the standout innovations, is the Mail Tracking System, an automated workflow management system that ensures every process or request for advice directed to the Ministry of Justice is digitally time-stamped, assigned, and meticulously tracked, from the Office of the Attorney-General all through the system to the State Counsel and back. This meticulous tracking guarantees that all activities adhere to designated turnaround times, significantly enhancing the quality of legal service delivery
was elected Chairman, while Mrs Adenike Ayodele from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) became the General Secretary. Mr Stephen Aya of ThisDay newspaper, was elected Treasurer. All three were elected without any opposition, showing strong unity among members. A respected Lawyer/ Journalist, Mr. Wahab Abdullahi, administered the oath of office. He advised the new team to lead with fairness, honesty, and
a strong sense of duty.
In his first speech as Chairman, Mr Folorunso thanked members for their trust. He promised to focus on teamwork, transparency, and training for members to make the Association stronger. Mrs Ayodele, the new General Secretary, also promised to ensure smooth coordination of the group’s activities, and to protect the interests of court reporters.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered Eko Electricity Distribution Plc to immediately reconnect electricity supply to the premises of Protea Hotel by Marriott, Kuramo Waters, Victoria Island, Lagos, which was allegedly disconnected unlawfully around 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
The interim order followed an ex-parte application filed on behalf of Princely Court Limited, franchise owner of the Protea Hotel by Marriott at Kuramo Waters. The Defendants in the suit are, Eko Electricity Distribution Plc, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Rekhiat Momoh, Samuel Edoho, Abdulkadir Abdulrahman, and Agbioghale Emmanuel. The court granted the following interim reliefs pending the hearing and determination of the Plaintiff’s Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction: An order directing the Defendants to forthwith, reconnect the Plaintiff’s electricity supply at the Kuramo Waters premises. An injunction restraining the Defendants, jointly or severally, from tampering with or further disconnecting the electricity supply to the Plaintiff’s premises. An injunction restraining the Defendants from tampering with the electricity
meter currently installed at the premises. An order mandating the 3rd to 6th Defendant to comply with all court orders concerning reconnection of electricity to the Plaintiff’s premises, upon being served with the court’s order.
Justice Aneke made the order after the court reviewed the motion, an 82-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Sotayo Olasubomi Oluwabukunolami, Operations Manager of the hotel, alongside 10 attached exhibits, and a written address. Justice Aneke adjourned the case to June 25, 2025, for the hearing of the substantive motion on notice
The election took place during NAJUC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), led by Mrs Kemi Fola-Adeyemo of TVC, who chaired the Caretaker Electoral Committee. She praised the smooth and peaceful election process.
The new officers promised to carry out their duties responsibly, and to follow NAJUC’s rules as they begin their term.
across the State.
Alongside, is the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Platform, an inter-agency digital platform that will offer real-time oversight of the entire criminal justice process - from arrest to correction - across all stakeholders.
The Honourable A-G expressed gratitude to the Governor, as well as to the Ministry’s Directors and staff, for their unwavering support in executing these reforms. Speaking further, she appreciated the foundation laid down by previous Attorneys-General in Borno State, making it possible for the current team to build on their successes.
The Chief Judge of Borno State, Hon. Justice Kashim Zannah, described the Case Management System as a significant milestone in the State’s judicial history, noting its potential to ensure the speedy dispensation of justice. He urged the Governor to continue supporting the Attorney- General’s efforts, and called for a comprehensive review of the State’s laws to reflect modern standards and realities.
In response, the Governor reaffirmed his administration’s full commitment to the Ministry’s ongoing transformation. “The Honourable Attorney-General, Hauwa Abubakar, has demonstrated her competence through remarkable achievements.
Her dedication, is making a
positive and lasting impact on the justice system in Borno”, he stated. He further pledged to prioritise law reform and continuous training of legal personnel, to sustain institutional growth.
The Technology Partner, LawPavilion, played a central role in powering the Ministry’s transformation, providing the digital architecture for the e-Library, Case Management System, and other digital initiatives, to aid speedy dispute resolution and the Administration of Criminal Justice in Borno State. According to the MD/CEO, Ope Olugasa, “Our mission to equip the justice system to enable people and businesses achieve their potential, stems from our belief that the rule of law is not just an ideal, but a fundamental infrastructure required for national prosperity. That is why we did not just come to Borno State to deliver a product, we came to walk with the team on a transformation journey, as a committed, strategic partner”.
Following the formal addresses, the Governor inspected the Ministry’s newly refurbished workspaces, unveiled the Citizens Mediation Centre, commissioned the e-Library, and officially launched the Ministry’s new logo, mission, vision, and core values.
The Nigerian Bar Association, through its Institute of Continuing Legal Education (NBAICLE), has warned that all Lawyers must follow the 2025 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) rules, or they’ll lose their annual practicing licence and NBA stamp in 2026.
In a Notice dated June 11, 2025, NBAICLE leaders Prof Festus Emiri, SAN, and Prof C.V. Odoeme urged Lawyers to meet the requirement of at least five Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits each year. This move is part of the NBA’s goal to raise legal standards and match global best practices.
Credits can be earned by attending NBA Annual
Conferences, Branch CPD events, NBAICLE webinars, or publishing approved articles in NBA journals.
From the 2026 legal year, only compliant Lawyers with valid CPD hours and paid fees will receive their licenses and NBA stamps - essential for filing court papers and representing clients. Experts highlight that regular CPD sharpens Lawyers’ skills, keeps them up-to-date, and boosts their confidence and competitiveness. It’s not just about renewing licences, it's about professional growth, adapting to legal changes, and improving client service.The NBAICLE has responded by launching many training options, live courses, seminars, online classes to make
it easier for Lawyers to meet requirements. Lawyers can register via www.nbaicle.org or contact the team via icle@nigerianbar.org. ng. If a Lawyer doesn’t comply, their name will be omitted from the practising list, and they’ll be barred from legal duties such as signing documents or filing court cases under relevant Professional Conduct rules.
The NBA strongly advises Lawyers to act now: check MCPD rules, sign up for approved programs, collect your CPD hours, pay your fees, and avoid being shut out of practice. Ultimately, the MCPD programme reflects a global trend toward continuous learning.
In less than 24 months, Nigeria will go through anther circle of ballots, to elect political office holders. The 2023 elections came with many imperfections, culminating in endless complaints and more election petitions. The nation’s election umpire, the Independent National electoral Commission (INeC), perceptibly bears a lot of the blame, though Nigerian Politicians are sore losers who will challenge elected conducted by angels in the most perfect manner, once they do not win. as the 2027 general elections draw near, what is the level of preparedness of INeC? What mechanisms have they put in place, to ensure that the Commission delivers a free, fair and credible election? Former INeC National Commissioner, Festus okoye and Jide ojo assess the Commission’s readiness and capacity to deliver on its mandate, making suggestions about what steps can be taken to make the upcoming elections credible
INEC 2027 General Election, How Prepared?
Festus Okoye
The Health of Our Electoral System
The health of democracy and the success of any democratic election, depends on several interrelated variables
that interact and intersect with one another. They rely on the character, complexion, structure, and internal democratic processes of political parties. They depend on the strength, independence, impartiality, technological expertise, and electoral ecosystem of the nation. They also rely on the role and nature of the media, as well as civil society groups and organisations. They de-
“With the BVAS, the issue of multiple and double accreditation has been addressed…..The Commission must continue to educate Nigerians, on its processes and procedures. If this does not happen, individuals pursuing notoriety on social media will continue to spread misinformation and disinformation, harming the electoral process”
pend on the character and nature of security agencies, as well as their commitment and loyalty to the national interest. They rely on the ability and willingness of citizens to defend the democratic process, and to cast their votes rationally for their preferred political parties and candidates. They depend on the social and economic forces, and how these forces impact the democratic process. A combination of these variables, affects the fairness and credibility of elections.
The 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022, confer upon the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the exclusive authority to conduct, organise, and supervise certain categories of elections specified in the Constitution. Organising Presidential, Governorship, National, and State Assembly elections, is formidable. This task and challenge occur across 176,846 polling units, 8,809 registration areas (electoral wards), 774 local governments and area councils, 36 States of the Federation, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. In the Presidential election on February 25, 2023, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on March 18, 2023, the Commission deployed to 176,606 polling units for 470 elective positions, comprising 1 (Presidential post), 109 (Senatorial
posts), and 360 (Federal constituency posts). For the 2023 general election, the Commission deployed 91,382 four-wheeled vehicles, 3,019 boats, and 88,090 motorcycles. The total number of polling unit officials stood at 1,131,814. The Commission accredited 1,574,301 agents for the political parties, 68,057 collation agents, and 28 agents for the National Collation Centre. The task is enormous, and requires the cooperation and understanding of the critical stakeholders in the electoral process.
The Register of Voters serves as the foundation of a credible election. A register that lacks transparency and does not earn the respect of critical stakeholders in the electoral process, cannot facilitate a successful election. Nigeria had 93,469,008 registered voters for the 2023 general election. Since the Continuous Voters Registration Exercise in 2022, many Nigerians have turned 18 and are now eligible to register. Some Nigerians have changed their addresses, while others have lost their Permanent Voters Card. Others have been displaced, and are living in internally displaced persons camps. The Commission must start the Continuous Voters Registration Exercise early, to prevent last-minute rush and confusion. The Commission should also engage in effective and sustained voter education and awareness in partnership with civil society groups and organisations, to avoid repeating past mistakes. Those already registered can only transfer their registration, and cannot register anew. Individuals who have lost their cards may apply for replacements, but cannot register again.
The Commission must activate the registration portal to reject those who previously registered, and want to manipulate the system. Individuals who have completed multiple registrations should demonstrate patriotism, by surrendering those cards to the nearest INEC office. Both the Commission and critical stakeholders must conduct intensive awareness and education campaigns, during the claims and objections phase. Nigerians need to be patriotic and report any deceased individuals, so that the Commission can remove such names from the register. The portal should also be utilised for this purpose. The Commission must go into the 2027 general election, with an acceptable voter register.
Nigeria has demonstrated confidence, creative thinking, and global
compliance through the gradual integration of science and technology into the electoral process. The retirement of the smart card reader and the introduction of the three-in-one Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, marks a revolution in voter access and accreditation. With the BVAS, the issue of multiple and double accreditation has been addressed. Those with PVC banks and warehouses, disposed of some in the bush and along Federal and state highways. Unfortunately, some individuals equated the BVAS to electronic voting machines, and anticipated that their votes would be transmitted electronically. Nigerians must be informed that under Section 47(2) of the Electoral Act, the BVAS is intended to verify, confirm, or authenticate the particulars of the intending voter. The Commission must conduct rigorous and systematic testing of the BVAS before the election, and ensure that unscrupulous individuals do not replace trained ad-hoc staff with compromised and untrained personnel.
The inconvenient truth is that, Nigeria's collation system remains predominantly manual. The Electoral Act 2022 has paved the way for the introduction of a hybrid system that retains manual collation, while gradually and
“Political parties cannot grow and solidify, when they serve only as vehicles for contesting elections….. Individuals must not be allowed to change their parties two years before an election, and once elected, a member of the National or State Assembly, Governor or President cannot change party or defect to any party, until the conclusion of the tenure for which the person was elected”
carefully integrating technology into the electoral process.
For the 2027 election, results from the Polling Units will be sorted, counted, entered into Form EC8A, and transferred to the Registration Area Collation Centre. The results will also be uploaded to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV). It must be emphasised that IReV is not a collation system. To date, the challenges faced by INEC in uploading the 2023 Presidential election results affected public perception of the election. The prevailing view was that, the uploaded results would be collated and entered into Form EC8B. The Commission must continue to educate Nigerians, on its processes and procedures. If this does not happen, individuals pursuing notoriety on social media will continue to spread misinformation and disinformation, harming the electoral process.
In future elections, the Commission should gradually introduce electronic voting machines, starting with smaller elections. The result sheets from IReV, should continue to serve as a quality assurance measure for the Collation and Returning Officers at the 8,809 Registration Areas (Electoral Wards).
The independence and impartiality of the electoral umpire are fundamental to free, fair and transparent elections. However, an independent and impartial electoral umpire is not the only requirement for free, fair and transparent elections. The democratic spirit of the political class and their willingness to submit to the rule of law and due process, are also crucial to the conduct of a good election. The near institutionalisation of a toxic electoral ecosystem
before, during and after elections lowers the people’s fidelity to the electoral process.
In 2019, the Commission suffered 8 attacks on its facilities. In 2020, it increased to 22 and reduced to 12 in 2021, and 8 in 2022. Political parties must organise and train party agents, and not party thugs. In 2023, the political parties collectively deployed 1,574,301 party agents. Some of the parties simply collected the tags and deployed thugs to harass voters and disrupt the polls, in areas they considered hostile to their aspirations. Some presiding officers were harassed and intimidated by marauding thugs. Some political thugs snatched and destroyed the BVAS, destroyed some of them and uploaded nonsense to the IReV. You can only talk of free and fair elections, when voters succeed in going to the polls and exercising their rights in a serene atmosphere.
The political parties must organise, institutionalise and domicile their parties with the membership. The political parties must be restructured and repackaged, at the ward and local government levels. Party primary elections must be democratic, and not choreographed. Political parties must be returned to the members, and must not remain the property of any individual or godfather. Our parties lack common ideology, and it is one of the drawbacks of our political system. Political parties cannot grow and solidify, when they serve only as vehicles for contesting elections.
The National Assembly must respond to the present dynamics of our political process, and amend the Constitution. Individuals must not be allowed to change their parties two years before an election,
and once elected, a member of the National or State Assembly, Governor or President cannot change party or defect to any party, until the conclusion of the tenure for which the person was elected. Most Nigerian politicians have changed their parties three to four times, since the return to civil democratic rule. Most of the parties share the same ideological orientation. Those who are railing at those who have defected, may still defect to other parties. That is the character of the existing political parties.
Modelling the Electoral Umpire
Modelling an electoral empire is a product of a people’s history, culture and experiences. Some countries operate the independent model. Some countries operate a government model, and a mixed model. Some are composed of experts. Some are elected, while some have a mixed composition of experts and nominees of political parties.
We must be creative in our approach to our electoral system, and avoid a slavish copycat mentality. Some of the people complaining about the lack of autonomy and independence of the electoral management body have, at one time in their current or previous parties, attempted to control and compromise the Commission. Some members of the political elite prefer an independent and autonomous Commission when they are out of power, and a pliant one when they are in the saddle. A Commission made up of experts and representatives of political parties will be a disaster, and cannot function. The present political parties, are electoral machines and all-purpose vehicles. Some of the political parties exist only in name.
Nigeria needs a body that will sift through applications by persons recommended for appointment, as National or Resident Electoral Commissioners. Such nominees must be completely apolitical, and should not have been associated with any political party for at least five years before their appointment. The National Assembly can still vet the nomination, and the President can still make the appointment.
The electoral management body, must be given the freedom to plan and deploy. Sensitive electoral materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, are not printed on time. Some sensitive materials are embedded with complex security features to avoid cloning. Some sensitive materials are stored in the branches of the Central Bank and transported to the Local Governments and Registration Areas. This accounts for the late start of polls
especially in areas with difficult terrain.
Fidelity to the rule of law, due process and total surrender to the power of the voters will elevate our electoral process. The political elite must banish the weaponisation of poverty for electoral advantage. Bribery and corruption in the electoral process will not solidify our electoral process.
The National and State Assemblies must conclude work on amending the Constitution and the Electoral Act at least a year before the 2027 general election.
A Political Parties Registration and Regulatory Commission is imperative. An Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal is imperative.
More importantly, a knowledgeable press and civil society organisations will check the excesses of the political elite and prevent democratic reversals. The Nigerian people must resolve to protect their mandate and eschew temporary gains.
Festus Okoye, Legal Practitioner; former INEC National Commissioner
Can INEC Deliver Credible 2027 General Elections?
Jide Ojo
Introduction
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is one of the 14 Federal Executive Bodies listed in Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as altered. It is
"The National and State Assemblies must conclude work on amending the Constitution and the Electoral Act at least a year before the 2027 general election"
tasked to, among other things, organise elections into various political offices in the country. The Commission is made up of a Chairman, and 12 National Commissioners. The functions of INEC as contained in Section 15, Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) and Section 2 of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended) include the following:
Organise, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the President and Vice-President, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a State, and to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each State of the Federation; Register political parties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and Act of the National Assembly; Monitor the organisation and operation of the political parties, including their finances; conventions, congresses and party primaries; Arrange for the annual examination and auditing of the funds and accounts of political parties, and publish a report on such examination and audit for public information
Others include: Arrange and conduct the registration of persons qualified to vote and prepare, maintain and revise the register of voters for the purpose of any election under this Constitution; Monitor political campaigns and provide rules and regulations which shall govern the political parties; Conduct
voter and civic education; Promote knowledge of sound democratic election processes; Conduct any referendum required to be conducted pursuant to the provision of the 1999 Constitution or any other law or Act of the National Assembly. Section 98. — (1) of the Electoral Act 2022 says “The conduct of elections into the offices of Chairman, Vice Chairman and a member of an Area Council and the recall of a member of an Area Council shall be under the direction and supervision of the Commission in accordance with the provisions of this Act”.
Thus far, since the beginning of this Fourth Republic in 1999, INEC has conducted seven general elections and scores of off-cycle Governorship elections as well as bye-elections. The General Elections were conducted in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. The performance of the Commission in the onerous tasks of conducting elections in Nigeria, cannot be unilinearly assessed. This is because of some endogenous and exogenous factors. Internally, the structure of INEC is a vast bureaucracy comprising of the Headquarters in Abuja, 37 State Secretariats (36 States and FCT), as well as 774 Area Council and Local Government offices. The staff strength of INEC is about 16,500. However, during general elections, the Commission relies on over a million ad-hoc staff, comprising of academics and members of the National Youth Service Corps. Ahead of every election, INEC engages in huge procurement. It prints millions of ballot papers, result sheets and also buys hardware such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), ballot boxes, Water storage tanks and Electricity Generators for the 8,809 RAC Centres. To do this, the Commission requires
billions of Naira. If the needed resources are not made available, it can impact negatively on the performance of the Commission. The printing companies used by INEC, are external to it. Most of the Lawyers used for election litigation are not staff of the Commission. Those who provide election day transport logistics are members of the Road Transport Unions, as the Commission does not have the full complement of the operational vehicles needed to perform its duties.
Election security is exogenous to INEC. The Commission, though has established a standing Committee known as Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, it relies on the Office of National Security Adviser to coordinate the deployment of members of the Nigeria Police and Armed Forces that will serve on election duty. The Judiciary is also external to INEC, and there are rumblings that court injunctions and judgements given by the Judiciary, too close to election time, do impact negatively on electoral planning. INEC is joined in all pre-election and post-election matters, even when it is not related to election conducted by it. For instance, it is the political parties that conduct party primaries and disqualifies aspirants. Yet, when litigants seek redress in court, INEC is joined as the umpire. The cost of hiring Lawyers to defend the Commission, is very huge.
Formulation of electoral laws including amendment to the laws is beyond INEC, as it is in the purview of the legislature, especially the National Assembly. The 2022 Electoral Act was passed by National Assembly barely a year to the 2023 General Elections. The Bill was (depends on position being vied for) vetoed about four times, by former President Muhammadu Buhari between 2018 and 2022. As it stands now, National Assembly has started another round of constitutional and Electoral Act alteration, and it is unknown when this exercise will be concluded. If the alterations are done too late, it will impact negatively on the 2027 General Elections.
Nomination of candidates, is totally out of INEC’s hands. Political parties conduct their primaries, and only mandatorily invites INEC as an observer. The Commission is not at liberty to reject any nomination except the person so nominated doesn’t satisfy the basic constitutional requirements such as being of age (it depends on the position being vied for), academic qualification and membership of a political party. As to the merit or demerit of the conduct of the
party primaries, INEC cannot pass a judgement, neither can it reject any nomination by the political parties.
As it is with every contest or examination, a winner claims to have won while losers will lay claim to have been wilfully failed or rigged out, as in the case of election. Thus, a successful candidate will praise INEC to high heaven to have conducted credible polls, while the losers will pontificate that INEC is the worst institution which should be disbanded and reconstituted.
Even when cases are filed in court, the person with favourable judgement will laud their Lordships for a sound judgement while losers will cry foul that the Bench has been compromised. It’s always a dicey situation.
What Will Guarantee Credible 2027 General Elections?
It’s barely two years to the eighth general elections in 2027. Yet, the polity is being heated up by the political class who are already aligning and realigning. There are meetings by opposition party chieftains, to form a new coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress. Furthermore, there are political endorsements, as someone like President Bola Tinubu has already been adopted by his party as the sole Presidential candidate in 2027. Just recently, Friday, June 6, 2025, Governor Umo
“….the National Assembly has started another round of constitutional and Electoral Act alterations, and it is unknown when this exercise will be concluded. If the alterations are done too late, it will impact negatively on the 2027 General Elections”
Eno officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. This is coming on the heels of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State who defected from PDP to APC in May 2025.
According to Section 28. — (1) of the Electoral Act 2022 “The Commission shall, not later than 360 days before the day appointed for holding of an election under this Act, publish a notice in each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory—…”. Thus, until February 2026, INEC will not officially blow whistle on the preparation for the 2027 General Elections. Meanwhile, in the interim, the Commission is planning for the conduct of Anambra Governorship election in November 2025, as well as Ekiti and Osun general elections in 2026. There are also scores of bye-elections the Commission will conduct ahead of the 2027 polls. Before then, the Commission will conduct Continuous Voters Registration exercise, as well as procurement of election materials for the next set of polls.
Will INEC be able to Conduct Credible Future Elections?
This is a million-dollar question. As enunciated above, credibility of election depends on a number of endogenous and exogenous factors or variables. They must work in sync, to enable the electoral management body deliver credible polls.
Will INEC get its funding as and when due? Will it be well resourced financially and otherwise? The tenure of the incumbent INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu will end in November 2025. Does anybody
know who will replace him? Will he or she be a person of integrity, that will be non-partisan? Civil society organisations are agitating for the INEC Chairman and Commissioners’ positions, to be advertised and subjected to public scrutiny. I do not see the possibility of that happening soon. That method itself, is not foolproof, because even a person of integrity and impeccable character can be muscled by pressure from the executive arm. There is also the issue with appointing non-partisan ad-hoc staff, who will not be swayed by the politicians’ carrot or stick. It is heartwarming that President Bola Tinubu recently made a scape goat of three former Resident Electoral Commissioners of Abia, Adamawa and Sokoto State, when he sacked them in February 2025 due to abuse of office. We have also seen a Professor in Akwa Ibom who was jailed by the court, for aiding and abetting electoral fraud in 2019. This is exemplary conduct, that can make people who will supervise future elections sit up and refuse to compromise.
Political Parties, Security Agencies, National Assembly, the Judiciary, and even the Executive that provides the funds, must all work to support INEC to succeed. Media, Civil society and the electorate, must provide the needed support to oversight all the key stakeholders in the electoral process. The media for instance also have the additional responsibility of objective and conflict sensitive reportage, while voters should shun violence and vote trading. Candidates must do away with the win-at-all-cost mentality. If all these are done, then the horizon will be bright for free, fair, credible and successful polls.
Jide Ojo, Development Consultant, Author and Public Affairs Analyst, Abuja
When the Forest Hides More than Trees
To paraphrase an old African proverb, “when the forest is silent, beware, it may be plotting”. Nigeria’s forests are no longer just a canopy of trees sheltering wildlife and whispering winds; they have become a theatre of terror. Armed bandits, kidnappers and insurgents have “discovered” what ancient wisdom already knew: that the forest is the perfect hideout. In response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has proposed a bold and ostensibly visionary plan, the deployment of a National Forest Guard Corps. This move has since sparked hope, scepticism, and fierce Federalism-versus-Unitarianism debates.
At the heart of this strategy, is the ambition to reclaim over 1,129 forest reserves scattered across Nigeria’s sprawling terrain, most of which now serve as havens for terrorists and criminal syndicates. With over 130,000 armed operatives to be recruited and deployed, it is easy to view this initiative as the long-overdue solution to Nigeria’s security woes. But, this move is not just about logistics and boots in the bush; it is about sovereignty, legality, and local legitimacy. Is Tinubu’s forest guard plan a Federal solution to a national emergency, or is it an ill-fated centralisation of local security challenges, enabling the Federal Government to breathe down the necks of State Governments?
To answer this, we must examine the legal, constitutional, and operational frameworks of Tinubu's initiative, evaluate historical precedents, and analyse the potential risks of imposing a Federally controlled paramilitary force in forests that historically and legally belong to the States. We must also interrogate whether security can be bought with arms alone; or whether it grows from the grassroots up.
But, before we venture into the thicket of policy and power, let us consider the context that birthed this proposal. Nigeria’s forests, which were once ecological sanctuaries, have gradually degenerated into lawless zones of bloodbaths. The green expanse that should echo with bird calls and animal grunts, now reverberate with gunfire. Insecurity in rural and agrarian communities has reached such alarming heights that farmers have virtually abandoned their lands, leading to food insecurity, economic stagnation, and mass displacement. The forests no longer nurture life; they generate death.
The Government’s decision to respond with a largescale recruitment of forest guards may indeed, seem intuitive, after all, it aligns with the global trend of ecological militarisation in fragile States. Yet, the structure of implementation matters deeply. If the architecture of this plan disregards Nigeria’s Federal nature, it risks exacerbating the very crisis it was intended to solve. Forests may be rooted in soil; but the guardianship of that soil is rooted in law, identity, and community ownership. The principle of quic quid plantatur solo solo cedit applies. Forest guards who do not share the language, culture, history or kinship of the terrains they are sent to police, will surely be seen as outsiders. And, such outsiders in the forest may become either victims or villains.
Furthermore, this proposal arrives at a critical moment in Nigeria’s democratic evolution. Debates over State and community policing, restructuring, devolution of powers and regional autonomy are no longer intellectual abstractions; they have become national imperatives. See Sections 215 and 216 of the 1999 Constitution. Tinubu’s plan, whether deliberately or inadvertently, intersects with these gaping fault lines. To superimpose a Federally-managed forest force without recognising the nuanced relationships between State, land and community, is to risk uprooting fragile peace and replacing it with more severe antagonism. Now, are we really a Federation in truth, or
merely in name? I dare say what we operate in the guise of Federalism is actually a unitary form of government. Can national unity be enforced through uniformed patrols, or is it better that it be cultivated through shared values and governance?
As we delve deeper, the question is not just who guards the forest, but, who decides who guards the forest, and in whose name. Indeed, a deeper question: Who will guard the Guard?
The Forest, the Federalist and the Federation
Constitutional Realities: The Power of the States Over Forests
In any Federal system, the distribution of power especially over land and internal security, is a defining hallmark. Nigeria’s Federalism, is no exception. The country’s current structure, codified under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), clearly delineates the powers of Federal, State and local governments. See Sections 2(2),3(1-6) of the Constitution. A close reading of Section 7 and the Fourth Schedule (paragraph 2(b)) to the Constitution highlights the responsibilities of Local Government Councils, including the control and regulation of agricultural and natural resources and by extension, includes forest land not reserved to the Federal Government. This immediately places forests, by default, under the control of the States, unless specifically designated otherwise, since Local Governments are located in States.
Furthermore, the Land Use Act, 1978, which is incorporated into the Constitution by reference (Section 315), gives State Governors control over all lands within their territory, excluding those under Federal use, to hold them in trust for the people of their States. The Act empowers Governors to allocate land in urban areas to individuals and organisations, and to oversee the use of non-urban land through Local Government Councils. Consequently, the direct implication is that, any forest or land not classified under National Parks, Federal Reserve zones, or Military Controlled areas, falls squarely under the jurisdiction of the State.
Federal v State Power
Of Nigeria’s 1,129 officially gazetted forest reserves, the vast majority are managed by State Forestry
“Attempts to impose direct Federal recruitment and control over forest guards in State-managed forests without legislative amendments or formal agreements, risk violating both the spirit and letter of the law”
departments under their Ministries of Agriculture, Rural Development or Environment. These include large forest blocks in States like Cross River, Ondo, Ogun, Taraba, and Ekiti, many of which are vital to local economies, ecological sustainability, and food security. The Federal Government only controls forest areas designated as National Parks (such as Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Kainji Lake National Park, Cross River National Park, and Old Oyo National Park), administered under the National Park Service, an agency of the Federal Ministry of Environment.
Attempts to impose direct Federal recruitment and control over forest guards in State-managed forests without legislative amendments or formal agreements, risk violating both the spirit and letter of the law. Even within the Federal legislative framework, forest policing is not explicitly listed on the Exclusive Legislative List, meaning that it falls under either the Concurrent List (shared responsibilities between the Federal and States) or, in most practical scenarios, the Residual List, which is left to States’ discretion.
Unitarianism in Disguise?: The Danger of a Federal Paramilitary Force
Unitarianism masquerading as Federal security cooperation is a deeply sensitive issue in Nigeria, where ethnic plurality, historical grievances, and political mistrust run deep. The idea that over 130,000 armed operatives could be centrally recruited, trained, and deployed under Federal command while ostensibly operating within State territories, is understandably alarming to many stakeholders. It evokes painful memories of other Federally-controlled agencies that have operated with little or no regard for local dynamics, and often with tragic consequences.
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is a case in point. Established as a unit within the Nigeria Police Force, SARS was accused of gross human rights violations, including extra-judicial killings, torture, and extortion. Its Federal command structure meant little accountability to State Governments or communities. The #EndSARS protests of 2020, which began as youth-led demands for Police reforms, quickly morphed into a broader call for systemic change, highlighting the dangers of over-centralised security control architecture.
Similarly, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), while useful in its community protection mandate, has often been accused of operational inefficiencies and jurisdictional clashes with State authorities. Cases of NSCDC operatives acting with impunity or engaging in power struggles with local law enforcement agents, are well documented. Against this backdrop, Tinubu’s forest guard plan raises critical concerns. How can a Federal command effectively manage such a force across diverse terrains, languages and cultures, without falling into the same trap of over-centralisation and under-accountability?
What happens when these guards act outside the law, or when Federal and State authorities disagree on deployment priorities? Who investigates complaints of misconduct, especially in remote rural areas?
Who has the final say?
These questions are not merely theoretical. In countries with similar Federal structures, such as India and the United States, forest protection and environmental policing are almost always handled at the State or provincial level, often under decentralised bureaucracies with State-specific laws and enforcement mechanisms. For instance, India’s Forest Protection Committees are embedded in local governance structures, while U.S. State Park Rangers operate independently of Federal policing units, unless specific interstate or Federal crimes are involved. Nigeria’s own Federal structure, should offer no less sophistication. The creation of another Federal paramilitary force, especially one that operates deep in the natives’ forests without local allegiance or accountability, risks becoming not a solution but a security liability, and worse, a political tool in the hands of a powerful centre.
The wisdom of local recruitment, is both practical and cultural. Insecurity in Nigeria’s forests is not just about guns and patrols, it is about intelligence, relationships and trust. Bandits and criminal syndicates thrive, in environments where locals are alienated from the security structure. Conversely, they are more easily repelled when local vigilantes, hunters and indigenous operatives form part of the security fabric.
The Nigerian Hunter and Forest Security Service (NHFSS), which operates across the 36 States and the FCT Abuja, provides a compelling model. Comprised largely of traditional hunters and forest dwellers, the NHFSS brings a unique blend of tactical expertise and cultural affinity. In States like Kogi, Kebbi and the FCT, NHFSS operatives have been instrumental in intercepting kidnap gangs, uncovering illegal encampments, and collaborating with security agencies. Their effectiveness is rooted not in superior weaponry, but in their deep understanding of their peculiar terrain, their loyalty to the community, and the trust they command from locals.
A retired Army General, Peter Aro, hailed the development as a critical step in addressing rising insecurity within Nigeria’s forested regions, particularly the scourge of banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency. Forest guards must possess field survival skills, terrain literacy, and community integration. These are not qualities one can mass-produce in Abuja, through crash course training programmes. Furthermore, security should be intimately linked to traditional institutions, such as village heads, district councils, and traditional rulers, who provide crucial intelligence and moral authority.
Security Analyst, Chidi Omeje has also pointed out the danger of sending “fresh recruits with basic firearms” into forest zones where criminal elements are known to possess military-grade weapons. He advocates for a dual-layered model, where locally embedded forest guards work alongside the Military and Police, but under local command structures.
There are also precedents for success. The Amotekun Corps in the South West, and the Benue Community Volunteer Guards, are examples of locally-driven initiatives that have shown promising results. While not without their challenges, these Corps are better attuned to the local environment, and have the legitimacy to act swiftly in ways that Federal forces cannot. Furthermore, a decentralised approach would stimulate local economies. Recruitment of indigenes provides employment, instills civic pride and strengthens the social contract bond. It also ensures that the guards see themselves as protectors, not as occupiers, a distinction that is vital in volatile communities where the line between security agent and aggressor is often thin.
In summary, while the Federal Government has a legitimate role in coordinating national responses to threats, its approach must be that of a facilitator, not a commander. Support through training, funding, surveillance technology (e.g., drones, forest mapping systems), and standard setting is invaluable. But, command and control must remain at the State level, rooted in the soil, culture, language, idiosyncrasies and rhythms of the communities the guards are sworn to protect. (To be continued).
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“The clearest way into the Universe, is through a forest wilderness.” (John Muir)
Nume Ekeghe
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) celebrated the literary and creative talents of young Nigerians at the grand finale of its National Essay and Drawing Competition, held to commemorate Children’s Day on May 27, 2025.
The initiative, the bank said in a statement, reflects it’s commitment to fostering education and youth development, offering a platform for holders of the Bank’s Kids Account to showcase their creativity.
At the event, nine pupils and students aged between three and 17 were awarded scholarships of up to N1.5 million for their outstanding performances. An additional 72 finalists received consolation prizes of N50,000 each, along with FCMB-branded souvenirs. Ogbu Ikechukwu, a student from Nsukka, Enugu
State, won the essay competition for students aged 13 to 17 with his thoughtful submission on the topic, “How will you manage and utilise a birthday gift of N1 million responsibly?” He received a scholarship of N1.5 million to support his education. The first and second runners-up were awarded N1 million and N750,000, respectively.
FCMB’s Divisional Head for Personal Banking, Adetunji Lamidi, emphasised the importance of the competition: “We introduced the national essay and drawing competition to encourage learning and give children a platform to express their ideas. Their entries showed strong awareness and original thinking. By supporting their potential, we’re investing in future innovation and progress.”
Lamidi added: “The FCMB Kids Account helps children build smart money habits
early. It supports financial literacy, encourages saving, and creates access to scholarships and creative competitions. We commend all participants and encourage them to keep learning and growing.”
The bank also expressed appreciation to parents, teachers, and guardians for their roles in nurturing, supporting, and encouraging the children.
The grand finale was lively and inspiring, as finalists presented their essays and artworks, leaving a lasting impression on judges and guests. Many praised FCMB for its continued investment in education and youth development.
As a strong advocate of education and the nurturing of future leaders, First City Monument Bank—a member of FCMB Group Plc—believes in every child’s potential to make a meaningful impact.
In a strategic move toward unlocking Africa’s potentials, EY Nigeria has said that it is set to host a high-level roundtable, aimed at mobilising private capital to accelerate Africa’s development goals.
The event, themed, “Enabling Private Capital for Africa’s Development Goals: What Next for Multilateral Development Banks and Regional Institutions,” will bring together a powerful mix of stakeholders, including multilateral development banks (MDBs), regional
institutions, investors, and senior leaders from both the public and private sectors.
According to Partner, Strategy & Transactions, EY West Africa, Damilola Aloba, the roundtable, which holds on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, reflects EY’s commitment to fostering inclusive, sustainable economic in Africa.
“This platform connects capital, capability, and purpose, encouraging collaboration that drives long-term impact across energy, agriculture, and
industrial sectors,” Aloba said.
He said the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, will deliver the keynote address, while the session will explore four critical focus areas, including mobilising private capital for transformative growth: strengthening collaboration between MDBs and regional institutions, shaping policy frameworks to support private sector participation, and innovating with blended finance and de-risking tools.
Following its recent strategic investment from Aruwa Capital Management and successful participation at the Nigerian Oil & Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) in Bayelsa, Yikodeen, Nigeria’s leading indigenous footwear manufacturer, will officially unveil its newly expanded manufacturing facility at a grand recommissioning event on June 24, 2025.
The unveiling represents a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s local content promotion by NCDMB and positions
Yikodeen as home to the most technologically advanced safety footwear production facility in West Africa.
The recommissioning ceremony, to be held at the company’s manufacturing headquarters in Lagos, will reveal the culmination of months of intensive equipment installation, facility upgrades, and workforce training. Industry leaders, government officials, and media representatives have been invited to witness this significant step towards a more
self-reliant and globally competitive Nigerian manufacturing sector, with Yikodeen leading the transformation.
As a testament to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board’s unwavering support for local manufacturing and capacity development, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has been duly appointed as the Special Guest of Honour at the recommissioning of the Yikodeen Factory.
In a bold step toward redefining Nigeria’s cybersecurity landscape, DevSecFlow, a leading cybersecurity company, has successfully hosted stakeholders from the fintech and cybersecurity sectors at an exclusive executive breakfast session themed “Beyond Compliance: AI-Powered Resilience for Nigeria’s Financial Future” on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at The George Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer, DevSecFlow, Francis Ofungwu, noted that the future of cybersecurity in Nigeria lies not just in regulatory compliance but in building intelligent, responsive systems that understand our local context and respond with speed,
scale, and precision.
According to Ofungwu, DevSecFlow has developed an advanced Security Operations (SecOps) platform (SECOYA), designed to help financial institutions and highly regulated organizations streamline their security operations through intelligence, clarity, and control, in response to the increasing complexity of cyber threats facing Nigeria’s digital economy.
“The SECOYA platform handles critical cybersecurity functions such as threat hunting, incident response, and alert triage with greater accuracy and endurance than human analysts. It reduces manual workflows, provides 24/7 protection and still requires human oversight and
governance to ensure transparency and ethical safeguards,” he said.
Speaking on the broader challenges in Nigeria’s cybersecurity ecosystem, CoFounder, DevSecFlow, Abdel Sy Fane, said SECOYA was built to address these issues by embedding security seamlessly into existing workflows and powering it with AI that understands both user behavior and operational context.
Fane added that SECOYA’s SecOps automation capabilities enable teams to focus on real threats, while its accessible design ensures that even SMEs with limited resources can deploy enterprise-grade protection at scale.
Kayode Tokede
Stakeholders have commended the financial performance of Nigerian Breweries Plc in the first quarter(Q1) 2025, suggesting it not only points to a return to the days of rewarding shareholder value but also points to stability and growth in the brewery industry.
It will be recalled that the multinational company released their Q1 2025, in which it posted
excellent results across all vital indicators.
Total Assets grew to N1.144 billion in 2025, compared to N1.138 billion for the same period in 2024. Revenue also soared to N383.64 billion, resulting in a gross profit of N166.57 billion. Along the same line, profit after tax for the period was N44.55 billion, a significant improvement compared to a loss of N52.09 billion in for first quarter 2024, while basic
earnings per share stood at N1.43 kobo, up from a drop of N5.07 kobo for the same period in the previous year.
Commenting on the result, the Managing Director of Crane Securities, Mike Eze, commended the quick return to profitability of the company and was optimistic the results will spur increased capital market activity. Eze believes the performance will trigger greater interest in the stocks of
the company ahead of the full year result coming in September, and urged the management to sustain the performance for increased shareholder value.
“Nigerian Breweries is a top performer in the Nigerian Exchange and the misfortunes of the past two years affected the Nigerian capital market quite significantly.
“People’s confidence was shaken, and although the results were not impressive, I was one
of the people that spoke at the time and I recall I expressed confidence that the company, given its track record, was going to bounce back and prove once again that it is a business worth investing for the long haul,” the stockbroker stated.
Also commenting on the result, CEO of Francona Services, an Abuja-based investment analyst, Chibueze Onah, commended Nigerian Breweries for navigating the headwinds of
forex-induced challenges that plunged it into poor results, and for steering the brand back to profitability.
Onah, who attributed the past negative financial results by the company to mostly external factors, said with the relative stability in the foreign exchange market, companies like Nigerian Breweries whose businesses are directly affected by exchange rate volatility, will experience significant performance uplifts.
Emmanuel Addeh writes that after more than a decade of relentless conflict and a seemingly battle-weary military, it may be time for Nigeria to broaden its options, including hiring private military contractors, otherwise known as mercenaries, to strengthen the onslaught against the marauders in the North.
Nigeria’s struggle against insecurity, by whatever nomenclature, has become a grinding war of attrition. Despite repeated assurances from successive administrations, billions in defence spending, and ongoing regional military cooperation, armed groups like the so-called herdsmen, bandits, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remain deadly and deeply entrenched.
For instance, Benue state has now become a killing field. Once a thriving agricultural hub in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, it continues to reel from a wave of unrelenting violence that has plunged many of its communities into chaos and mourning. What began years ago as occasional flare-ups over land disputes and grazing rights has now hardened into a pattern of calculated attacks.
The most horrifying episode occurred at the weekend when the quiet village of Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area came under a savage attack. Dozens of armed assailants simply descended on the community, setting homes ablaze and shooting indiscriminately. By the time the chaos ended, at least 200 people were dead.
The attackers have often been described by locals as herdsmen or bandits. That line is now becoming increasingly blurred. These guys are simply terrorists. There is no other way to sugarcoat it. Whichever way one looks at it, Benue’s insecurity is no longer just a local tragedy, it has become a national emergency.
Elsewhere, from Zamfara to Jos to Borno, a state of helplessness appears to be creeping in. Attacks on civilians, soldiers, and aid workers continue to make headlines, while whole communities live under siege or are displaced.
Currently confronting one of its most difficult chapters in recent history, the military now finds itself stretched dangerously thin across a growing web of internal security challenges.
Once focused primarily on defending the nation’s borders and handling conventional threats, the armed forces are now heavily embroiled in a range of domestic operations, from counterterrorism in the North-east, to anti-banditry campaigns in the North-west, to suppressing secessionist unrest in the South-east. This multipronged deployment has left the military overstretched, both in manpower and logistics.
In this context, the idea of hiring foreign military contractors, commonly referred to as mercenaries, has re-entered national discourse. Though controversial, it is not without precedent.
In 2014–2015 under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, although kept discreet, a private South African firm helped turn the tide against Boko Haram during a brief but highly effective campaign, before being abruptly withdrawn due to political pressure. Their departure was quickly followed by a resurgence in militant activity.
Now, as the insurgency evolves and metastasizes into wider insecurity across Nigeria’s North-west and central regions, the question must be confronted head-on: is it not time to prioritise results over pride?
Back to Jonathan, in the final months of his administration, as the insurgents gained significant ground in the North-east, seizing towns, displacing civilians, and threatening the integrity of Nigeria’s territorial sovereignty, he authorised the hiring of the group of foreign military contractors to assist in the fight.
Operating under a secret arrangement, they brought with them battlefield experience, specialised equipment, and mobility, ably backed by the Nigerian military. Their role, though never officially acknowledged in detail by the government, was largely focused on reconnaissance, coordination, and direct combat support, particularly using attack helicopters and ground tactics suited to asymmetric warfare.
The results were immediate and striking. Within weeks of their engagement in early 2015, Nigerian forces backed by these contractors began to push Boko Haram out of captured territories. Towns previously considered lost were recaptured.
The momentum of the insurgency was significantly reversed, setting the stage for relatively peaceful general elections that year. It was widely believed that the involvement of these mercenaries helped the military reclaim vital areas in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states during a period when public confidence in the security services was dangerously low.
Buhari’s Call
However, the operation was cut short when Muhammadu Buhari who took office in May 2015 declined to renew the mercenaries’ contract, citing
concerns about transparency, legality, and sovereignty. Soon after, the pace of military progress against Boko Haram slowed, and insurgent activity began to shift and evolve rather than disappear, with factions like ISWAP emerging stronger in the years that followed. Till today, many analysts believe that the military contractors should have been allowed to finish what they started.
Although Jonathan’s decision remains a point of debate, with supporters arguing that it was a bold, pragmatic move that delivered rapid security dividends when Nigeria had no time to waste, critics, on the other hand, questioned the secrecy of the operation and the implications of outsourcing national security to foreign fighters.
Nonetheless, it stands as one of the clearest examples in West Africa of a state using private military expertise to regain the upper hand in a seemingly intractable conflict and a case that continues to inform discussions on the merits and risks of hiring mercenaries in times of national crisis.
Throughout modern conflicts, a number of countries have turned to foreign mercenaries or private military contractors as a last resort when faced with security crises that overwhelmed national forces. In some cases, these decisions led to swift and dramatic improvements on the battlefield, forcing a recalibration of how nations view the role of non-state actors in warfare.
In the 1990s, Sierra Leone found itself engulfed in a brutal civil war, with the capital under threat and the national army unable to halt the advance of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).
It was in this moment of near-collapse that the government turned to Executive Outcomes, a South African private military company staffed by former soldiers with experience in counter-insurgency. Within weeks, these mercenaries helped drive the rebels out of key territories, secured critical infrastructure, and restored a semblance of control to a country on the edge of disintegration. Their swift success stood in stark contrast to the earlier failures of both local forces and international peacekeepers.
A similar pattern unfolded in Angola, where government forces struggling against the UNITA rebel movement brought in mercenaries in the mid-1990s. With their support, the Angolan military regained vital oil fields and diamond mines that had been funding the insurgency. The presence of the contractors helped tip the balance of power and created the conditions necessary for peace talks.
In Colombia, the government’s long fight against FARC guerrillas and powerful drug cartels was reinforced by the strategic deployment of foreign contractors, particularly through US-backed initiatives. While not mercenaries in the strictest sense, private firms played an essential role in training Colombian troops, gathering intelligence, and carrying out aerial surveillance. This external support helped the Colombian state gradually regain control over regions that had long been lawless and contested.
Even the United States is reported to have used the services of mercenaries. For instance, countries like Iraq and Afghanistan became major theatres for the use of private security and military contractors, particularly by the United States and its allies.
These contractors guarded key installations, supported logistics, and supplemented conventional troops in ways that blurred the lines between soldier and civilian. Although controversial and often criticised for lack of accountability, their role in sustaining security operations was undeniable.
More recently, Mozambique turned to foreign assistance amid a rising Islamist insurgency in its northern province of Cabo Delgado. Initially contracting a Russian outfit, and later a South African Group, the government sought to contain the spread of violence in remote and difficult terrain. While coordination and sustainability proved challenging, the move reflected a growing willingness among African governments to outsource key aspects of national defense when traditional methods fall short.
These cases, diverse in geography and circumstance, all point to a common reality: when national armies reach their limits and external support is slow or ineffective, governments sometimes find that the controversial option of hiring mercenaries offers immediate, if temporary, relief.
The success of such efforts often hinges not only on firepower, but also on clarity of mission, local coordination, and the political will to follow military gains with long-term stability measures.
In the last few months, as Nigeria continues to battle worsening insecurity across multiple regions, a number of prominent voices have reignited the conversation about deploying mercenaries to assist in the fight against insurgents, bandits, and other armed groups.
Among the most vocal has been Ahmed Jaha, a member of the House of Representatives from Borno State, one of the areas hardest hit by Boko Haram. In a passionate plea on the floor of the House recently, Jaha called on the federal government to consider bringing in military contractors.
“We need to swallow our pride and accept that security agencies have failed Nigerians. During Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, the mercenaries almost wiped out Boko Haram insurgents in a matter of weeks,” he added.
Besides, Security analyst, Ben Okezie, sometime ago, echoed similar sentiments. He argued that the idea of hiring foreign fighters should not be dismissed out of hand. “There is nothing wrong with engaging mercenaries to assist the military,” he said. “Fighting terrorism requires international support. These are not ordinary criminals, they are part of a transnational network,” Okezie maintained. He pointed to successful examples elsewhere in Africa, noting that Nigeria’s conflict has grown too complex to be resolved by conventional means alone.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State had also at a point supported the return of professional
military contractors. He has repeatedly emphasised that during the brief period when South African mercenaries were deployed in 2015, Boko Haram lost ground rapidly and key towns were liberated. The sentiment among many in the North-east is that the decision to terminate their involvement may have come at too high a cost.
In April 2022, then-Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, publicly expressed deep frustration with the persistent security failures in Nigeria’s North-West, particularly the inability of federal security forces to roundly contain banditry and insurgency. He warned that if the federal government failed to take decisive action, he and other governors might be forced to “bring in mercenaries” to defend their people. El-Rufai’s remarks followed a string of deadly attacks, including the brazen assault on a train between Abuja and Kaduna, which left many dead, injured, or kidnapped. He argued that the state governments had a constitutional duty to protect citizens and could no longer wait endlessly for federal solutions. Although not everyone agrees with this trajectory, what is clear from these varying positions is that the debate is no longer theoretical. It is shaped by real consequences, by towns burned, families displaced, and soldiers outmatched.
As insecurity deepens and faith in conventional solutions wavers, the question is no longer whether mercenaries are controversial. The question, increasingly, is whether Nigeria can afford not to consider them.
President Bola Tinubu may have little to fear politically or constitutionally if he approves the deployment of mercenaries to support Nigeria’s overstretched security forces, so long as the decision is grounded in transparency, legality, and a clear operational mandate.
At this critical point in Nigeria’s battle against insecurity, the case for decisive, even unconventional action is strong, and history offers important context for such a move.
As argued before, Jonathan discreetly engaged foreign military contractors in 2014–2015 to support operations against Boko Haram. That intervention, though unofficial at the time, yielded rapid and measurable success.
Towns in Borno and Yobe were recaptured, and Boko Haram’s momentum was temporarily reversed, proving that well-coordinated foreign support can deliver immediate battlefield advantages. Tinubu would not be inventing a new model, but building on what has previously worked in dire circumstances. Secondly, public sentiment in many parts of the country, particularly in the North-east and Northwest is shifting in favour of results over process, as communities continue to live under the constant threat of violence, and with local military units often under-resourced.
The priority for millions of Nigerians now is peace and safety, not the passport of those who help secure it. If mercenaries are deployed with proper oversight and deliver results, the move is more likely to earn public approval than backlash.
Constitutionally, the President, as Commanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces, has wide discretion over how national security is managed. So long as the deployment of foreign contractors is done through formal channels, whether as technical advisers, security consultants, or tactical support specialists, it falls within the executive’s purview. What matters is accountability, not nationality. Tinubu’s administration can insulate itself from legal challenges by ensuring that such contractors operate under Nigerian military supervision, with clear rules of engagement.
Furthermore, Tinubu has a chance to distinguish himself from his predecessor, especially Buhari, by acting boldly where others hesitated. The security situation he inherited is not only complex, but worsening. In some areas, the state has effectively lost control.
To ignore alternative approaches is not prudence, it is paralysis. In contrast, authorising a focused and time-bound mercenary operation would signal a leader willing to embrace innovation, prioritise human lives, and break with ineffective orthodoxy.
Of course, caution is needed. Mercenary operations must not be a substitute for institutional reform, and their use should be framed as a stopgap measure while Nigeria continues to train, equip, and restructure its own security forces. But fear of criticism should not outweigh the responsibility to protect citizens. In the end, Tinubu has political capital and constitutional authority on his side. What he must summon now is the courage to act before the country’s security crisis slips further beyond reach.
Pictures of dignitaries at the inauguration of the Greater Abuja Water Supply Network, Loops 1,2, 5 and 6 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday
By Louis Odion, FNGE
The offer was irresistible.
“Louis, I know you must be tired of hotel food by now,” he teased with a patriarchal grin, then beckoning, “Follow me make I show you better place to chop.”
After meandering through a labyrinth of rain-sprinkled streets of Asaba this afternoon for some minutes, we finally repaired to a local buka oozing mouth-watering aroma.
As soon as Uncle Sam (Chief Sam Amuka Pemu) sauntered in, trailed by Gbenga Adefaye (then President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors), Eze Anaba and yours sincerely, the buka — a nondescript bungalow — suddenly grew quiet, in reverence, if not awe, of an illustrious son of Delta State whose easily recognisable face frames his national celebrity.
The big masquerade had indeed arrived. It was too obvious that his trademark flat cap, deliberately pulled down to the brows, had, yet again, failed Uncle Sam woefully as disguise today. With the sudden excitement in the air, no one needed any reminding that the pride of the Itsekiri nation was an esteemed customer here, always picking the bills of everyone fortunate to be supping whenever he visited.
Vanguard newspapers, owned by him, is the political bible of not just his native Delta State but the entire Niger Delta.
Soon, all eyes seemed riveted on the corner we sat while the chefs ran around to ladle our table with assorted delicacies, meat and drinks.
The year was 2012 (April). Asaba, Delta State capital, was hosting a summit by BRACE Commission, a development agency for all Southsouth states, in collaboration with the editors guild with all the South-South governors in attendance. (I came with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as Edo State Commissioner of Information then.)
After doing justice to a feast of steaming-hot yam and bush meat, chatter and banter naturally resumed over beer. With his razor-sharp wits and withering humour, Uncle Sam would keep us reeling in laughter constantly. For instance, he often objects humorously that those of us addressing him as Daddy were only acting out a sinister plot to pronounce him invalid or vegetable prematurely.
“Daddy,” I soon teased with another hint of mischief, “You look very well kept, like a forty-something even when you’re now almost 77. What is the secret, sir?”
After a thoughtful silence and staring at his half-empty glass on the table, Uncle Sam waltzed philosophical, “In whatever you do, never forget the principle of one,” raising his right index finger for emphasis.
Sensing our curiosity, he expatiated: “If you must drink beer, never exceed one bottle. If you eat, be content with one plate.” Anticipating our next mischief, he preempted us: “It also applies to your duty as a man in the bedroom.” Our inference was that only the unwise would attempt to exceed the recommended limit in the biological odometer in an amatory excursion.
Of course, Adefaye, Anaba and yours sincerely laughed deliriously after processing that coded addendum.
In such simple, yet profound nugget would seem rooted the locus of Uncle Sam’s character essentially. It is his own philosophical compass to navigate the boundless ocean of temptations daily and a durable anchor in life’s high and low tide generally. A rarity in a society where animal greed is otherwise classified as enterprise and crass opportunism considered smartness. It probably also explains his longevity despite many difficult challenges over the years including multiple medical surgeries. Such minimalist mindset perhaps also furnishes an epistemological framework to understand Uncle Sam’s resolve to walk away without pulling down the roof, upon a painful realisation he had been handed the short-end of the stick at the Punch all along following a boardroom skirmish. The average journalist is often more obsessed with words and exclusive stories, not figures or numbers, unlike his partner who was a shrewd accountant. At the founding of Punch in 1970, Uncle Sam
would appear to be too trusting to mind the true meaning of numbers in the article of association and their legal implications.
It was only a question of time for the big question to arise. That eventually led him to exit and set up Vanguard newspapers in 1984, left to literally start afresh.
Overall, there is no denying media power. Exceedingly privileged, therefore, is the custodian of such power. But Uncle Sam would never be found parlaying that privilege to oppress or obtain undue advantage. And there lies the essence of his journalism. Despite his “big connections” and unlimited opportunities, Uncle Sam has refused to migrate to uptown Ikoyi, Victoria Island or Lekki, commensurate with his status as one of Nigeria’s most successful and influential publishers. He is content with the anonymity of downtown Anthony Village, home to him for more than five decades. In fact, most neighbours only became aware they truly had a very “big man” in their midst not too long ago following an attempt by some hustlers to convert an open space which had served the Anthony Village community as recreation centre to
a commercial centre. A mere statement of objection by Uncle Sam was enough for the authorities to wade in and chase the buccaneers away.
I am privileged to have partaken in the “morning communion” with Uncle Sam at his Anthony Village home several times over the years. Often a light menu of tea and cracker biscuits in the balcony amid soft music from a little jukebox.
Real “feasting” often occurs at lunch or dinner time at another property of his elsewhere in the same Anthony Village. That is where Uncle Sam prefers to host people lavishly, even though his own consumption pattern is always abstemious.
A man of disarming simplicity, Uncle Sam is not the type that throws his weight around or engages in self-promotion under any guise or disguise. For instance, when words reached him that Azu (Ishiekwene) and others were holding nocturnal meetings for a surprise 80th birthday shindig for him ten years ago, Uncle Sam, the grandmaster of ambush himself, was not to be beaten in his own game. He immediately put a call to Azu, the lead conspirator: “I heard you people are planning to stage a party without my permission. I would rather you give me the money
to go and enjoy myself somewhere instead.”
But a cautionary note: the leisurely walk of a lion at ordinary moment starkly contrasts its ferocious charge when in war mode. Uncle Sam’s petite frame, easy smile and fragile air certainly belie his doughty spirit in certain matters such as the pursuit of social justice or defence of human liberty. He is never shy in advocating a better deal for his native oil-rich Niger Delta, Nigeria’s cash cow left to wallow in want and near destitution. We can see this reflecting distinctly in the bias and values espoused by Vanguard newspapers in its editorial character. In the course of my journalism career, it was inevitable that I would encounter Uncle Sam as a mentor and father-figure. It is always pleasing whenever he called to draw my attention to any error of facts in my column and never spares praises on any piece he considers good. Coming from the king of the craft himself, I interpret that as evidence of his attention. To me, that alone is tantamount to winning a gold medal. Here is wishing Uncle Sam many more years in good health and service to the nation and mankind.
Nigeria’s crude oil export market witnessed a significant shift in Q, 2025, with India emerging as the country’s largest buyer of petroleum products, trade data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed.
The Asian economic giant, the NBS said, imported Nigerian oil valued at approximately N1.41 trillion between January and March 2025, outpacing traditional European buyers and reaffirming its long-standing energy ties with Africa’s largest oil producer.
Closely following India on the list of major destinations for Nigerian crude was the Netherlands, which received exports worth about N1.36 trillion within the same period. France, another traditional trade ally, came third, importing oil
valued at N1.28 trillion.
A THISDAY review showed that Nigeria’s crude oil exports are primarily directed toward a mix of countries in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa, with trade patterns shifting slightly each year based on global demand, refinery compatibility, and geopolitical factors.
In the whole of 2024, the top destination for Nigerian crude was the United States, which imported over N3.6 trillion worth of oil, reclaiming its place as Nigeria’s biggest customer in that year. The changing trend in Nigeria’s customers now means a diversification of export destinations.
The dominance of India in Q1 is not unexpected, given its status as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies with a robust energy
demand. Nigerian crude, known for its low sulfur content and ease of refining, fits neatly into India’s refining basket.
Although over the past several years, India has consistently ranked among Nigeria’s top oil destinations, the latest data confirms that this trend remains strong despite shifting global energy dynamics.
Besides, European countries, particularly the Netherlands, France, and Spain, also featured prominently. Spain imported Nigerian crude worth N990 billion, maintaining its position as a critical partner in West African energy trade.
The Netherlands, often a key gateway for crude bound for refineries across northern Europe, remains an important hub for the continent’s energy supply. France’s intake, also exceeding a trillion-naira mark, reflected a sustained demand
and the continuation of long-term purchase agreements.
Outside Europe and Asia, the United States imported crude oil valued at N779 billion, underscoring a steady, but less dominant, demand for Nigerian barrels.
While American shale oil production has reduced US dependence on foreign oil over the years, Nigerian crude still finds a niche in US refineries, particularly in the Gulf Coast, which can process light, sweet crudes efficiently.
In the same vein, in the first quarter of 2025, Canada ranked seventh among Nigeria’s export destinations, receiving N796.97 billion worth of crude oil. This made crude oil the overwhelming portion of Nigeria’s exports to Canada.
Also, Indonesia emerged as Nigeria’s fifth-largest crude buyer in Q1, 2025, importing N1.15 trillion
of crude, while crude oil exports to Italy totaled N1.11 trillion, with an additional N135.61 billion in non-oil goods, bringing total exports to N1.24 trillion.
Furthermore, although at a smaller scale, African buyers played an increasingly important role in Nigeria’s export profile, with South Africa emerging as the only country in the top 10. The regional partner imported oil valued at N705 billion. Other West African countries, including Ivory Coast and Senegal, were also among Nigeria’s oil buyers during the period. Ivory Coast imported crude worth N404 billion, while Senegal purchased N328 billion in Nigerian oil, meaning that West African countries are increasingly sourcing oil from within the continent to cut logistics costs. Ghana bought N50.5 billion crude from Nigeria during the period.
In total, crude oil and petroleumrelated exports contributed N12.96 trillion to Nigeria’s external trade in the first quarter of the year, accounting for nearly 63 per cent of total export revenue. The data comes at a time when the country is facing serious output challenges, despite recent improvement in the last two years. Average crude oil production in Q1 hovered around 1.45 million barrels per day, well below the 2.06 million barrels per day target projected in the 2025 federal budget. Issues ranging from pipeline vandalism to oil theft and ageing infrastructure have continued to constrain output, limiting the country’s ability to fully capitalise on high global oil prices.
Eromosele Abiodun
The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, yesterday in Lagos said the federal government has resolved to turn years of planning into measurable progress, by reviving industries, boosting private sector confidence and delivering jobs to Nigerians.
Enoh disclosed this during the opening ceremony of a two-day technical session to re-energise
the country’s industrial ambitions, convened by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The event, with the theme, “From Activities to Outcomes: Driving Industrial Renaissance,” brought together members of the Industrial Revolution Work Group (IRWG), a key delivery engine designed to convert Nigeria’s industrial blueprints into tangible results.
According to him, Nigeria was fast moving beyond the era of
policy pronouncements with little follow-through.
The current administration, he stated, is actively working to restore private sector confidence and revive moribund industries, in an effort to reawaken the country’s industrial potential.
He noted that the wave of industrial shutdowns and closures has started to decline, pointing to signs of recovery driven by increased private sector optimism
and government actions aimed at rebuilding trust in the economy.
Ehoh added, “We are not here for symbolism or routine talk-shops. We are here because something must shift permanently and decisively in the way we pursue Nigeria’s industrial ambition. Success cannot be measured by the size of our communique or the elegance of our presentations. It must be measured by the systems we fix, the industries we revive, the jobs we create and the lives
we impact.”
He said the theme of the session captures the urgency of the moment, just as he explained that the Industrial Revolution Work Group was not created as another advisory body, but as a delivery-driven platform designed to fast-track industrial execution. The forum, he said, is focused on identifying practical, high-impact interventions that can be implemented quickly and scaled over time to create sustainable change
across the industrial landscape. Speaking to newsmen on the side-line of the session, he said Nigeria’s long-awaited National Industrial Policy would be unveiled soon.
He said the current document, a draft, though usable, does not totally capture the exigencies of the moment.
Apart from the commencement of actual works on the $1billion ports reconstruction, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho with unalloyed support of the performance-driven Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has turned the fortune of the authority around, writes oluchi chibuzor
Aquick glance of goings on at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in the preceding year reveals a readiness by the Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho to deploy his decades-plus experience in the maritime sector for the maximiSation of the benefits derivable from Nigeria’s littoral assets and blue economy potentials.
Evidently the home-grown chief executive who enjoys the unalloyed support of the performance-driven Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has his focus set on implementing deliberate performance improvement measures geared towards future proofing Nigeria’s foremost trade facilitation platform for competitiveness and improved value addition to the national economy. Major players in the maritime sector have applauded President Bola Tinubu for appointing Dantsoho stressing that the president’s famed eye for talents has again been proven correct with his giant strides in the last one year.
Port rehAbIlItAtIoN
On assumption of duty as NPA boss, Dantsoho promised to ensure efficiency by embarking on port rehabilitation. Work has since commenced with the finalisation of documentation and commencement of actual works on the $1billion worth reconstruction of the aged Tincan Island Port Complex and the comprehensive rehabilitation of Apapa, Rivers, Onne, Warri and Calabar Port Complexes to assure their infrastructural integrity and bring them up to speed with the contemporary demands of the international maritime ecosystem.
New PortS DeveloPmeNtS
The NPA has also taken steps towards port capacity expansion through the operationalisation of new Ports and advancement of green port development, Dantsoho only last month led the NPA Management to finalize an agreement for the $1billion development of Snake Island Port to be built on an 85-hectare site within the Snake Island Integrated Free Zone. This is addition to Badagry Deep Seaport, Ondo Deep Seaports and Burutu Ports which are at various stages of progress under the technical guidance of the NPA. With the Port Community System (PCS) and the National Single Window amongst other initiatives for port competitiveness being aggressively implemented, it is evident that the Nigerian Ports Authority is poised to transform its strategic intent of being the maritime logistics hub for sustainable port services in Africa from potential to actualities.
Under Dantsoho, the NPA has concluded Nigeria’s membership of the International Port Community System Association (IPCSA), which is a necessary precursor to the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) project. Single Window operation is the global trade best practice for the electronic exchange of information relating to over 500 million TEU movements and billion of tonnes of cargo for sea, air and land transport modes. Electronic Truck -call up
The electronic management of truck traffic management which was conceived to sustainably tackle the excruciating traffic gridlock that hitherto characterised the port access roads has been firmed up through the introduction of satellite truck parks and time belts resulting in significant ease of doing business at the ports.
exPortS Growth AND trADe
SurPluS
Dantosho’s insistence on port efficiencies has culminated in Nigeria’s attainment of trade surplus of N5.81 trillion
($3.7 billion) in third quarter of 2024 as reported by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) foreign trade alert through exports predominantly consummated on the platforms of the Nigerian Ports Authority. Also, the successful implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strategy for the sale of crude and other petroleum products in Naira which in addition to saving Billions of FOREX earnings hitherto lost to importation, resulted in guaranteeing national energy security, deepening balance of trade and creating direct and indirect jobs.
The authority under Dantsoho has put Public Private Partnership modalities in motion to derive revenue from Ports Independent Power Production, Bunkering Stations, Fallow Lands for Logistics, Fresh Water Provision and Ship Repairs and Maintenance
mArItIme NAtIoNS
reckoNING- PmAwcA
Another major achievement of the Dantsoho led NPA is the promotion of Nigeria’s standing in the comity of maritime nations with his pioneering victory and election as the president of the Port Management Association of West & Central Africa (PMAWCA); the first Nigerian to be so elected since the inception of the prestigious regional maritime bloc in 1972.
Leadership of maritime decision-making blocs such as PMAWCA and the Pan-African Association for Port Cooperation (PAPC) which Dr. Dantsoho also leads, provides the diplomatic capital necessary for actualizing Nigeria’s quest for re-admission into the influential “Category C” of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
During the period under review, the NPA has provided the technical guidance responsible for the unprecedented increase in number of transhippment cargo processed from Lekki Deep Seaport to cater to the maritime needs of Nigeria’s landlocked neighboring countries, and win back cargo hitherto lost to our maritime neighbors.
PAtroNAGe of PortS
outSIDe lAGoS
Imbued by his hands-on experience as Port Manager for Onne Port Complex where he pioneered the investor-friendly initiatives responsible for the year-on-year growth being recorded at Onne Port Complex, Dantsoho recently undertook an investment drive tour of the Eastern Ports, arising from which the Authority has received several expressions of interests for investment in Rivers, Calabar and Burutu Ports.
As a result, the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT)-APM Terminals Nigeria recently received Hapag-Lloyd, one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies as it launched its service at the terminal. The launch of the new service was celebrated with a special ceremony at the WACTAPM Terminals Nigeria Onne port, marking the partnership with Hapag-Lloyd’s weekly shipping service, directly connecting East Nigeria to global trade routes.
This strategic alliance underscores the commitment of WACT-APM Terminals Nigeria’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s maritime capabilities and solidifying its position as a vital gateway for international commerce. The new service will significantly enhance connectivity, offering increased vessel capacity, improved transit times, and greater schedule reliability for
businesses operating in East Nigeria.
The CEO of APM Terminals Nigeria, Frederik Klinke, described the event as not a maiden call but the launch of Hapag-Lloyd as a shipping line in East Nigeria. He said the development is an important milestone and indication of the strong partnership that APM Terminals has globally with Hapag-Lloyd.
“This is an important milestone in East Nigeria for building its potential. We in APM Terminals have a very strong belief in the East Nigerian market. We are very proud of the partnerships that we have with our shipping line customers, now, with Hapag Lloyd being among them, and our government partners as well as the customers that we serve in East Nigeria. What we are really trying to do is to lift the East Nigerian market. There is a lot of trade potential that requires better logistic solutions.
The Country Managing Director, Hapag-Lloyd, Himmat Ahlawat, described Nigeria as one of the most important markets while also reiterating that customer service is the biggest priority for the Hapag-Lloyd team.
He said, “We consider Nigeria as one of the most important markets if not the most important in Africa and Eastern Nigeria. Without calling Eastern Nigeria, our ambitions here will remain unfulfilled. In Hapag Lloyd, the biggest priority we have is customer service. If there are no customers and our customers are not happy, then we have no right to exist. So, our actual stated aim is to be the undisputed king of customer service. So that is something we should bring on the table, because we use a variety of digital tools to help our customers, which the rest of the market has still not started using.”
The 2024 Consolidated Management Report of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) highlights significant improvements in port activities, with multiple indicators pointing to robust growth across various sectors. From cargo throughput to ship traffic and service boat operations, the Nigerian ports have experienced remarkable progress.
One of the most notable achievements in 2024 was the substantial increase in cargo throughput. Cargo traffic surged by 45.1%, rising from 71,213,197 metric tons in 2023 to 103,336,863 metric tons in 2024. This increase reflects heightened trade activities and improved operational efficiencies. Lekki Port stood out as the leader in cargo throughput growth, recording a 2,160.8% increase, followed by Onne Port with a 9.4% rise and Tin Can Island Port with 7.3% growth. Notably, Liquid Bulk cargo accounted for the largest share at 55.6%, while containerized cargo contributed 20.9%.
The Nigerian ports also recorded impressive gains in ship traffic. The number of ship calls increased by 5.6%, growing from 3,791 in 2023 to 4,005 in 2024. This was accompanied by an even more substantial 15.4% growth in Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT), which climbed from 123,660,278 to 142,660,418 tons. Lekki Port again led the growth trend, registering a 477.6% increase in ship calls, while Onne Port experienced a 5.8% rise.
The total container throughput also saw a
significant 9.7% increase, with 1,744,972 TEUs handled in 2024, compared to 1,591,194 TEUs in 2023. Within this category, laden containers grew by 12.2%, with export-laden containers experiencing an outstanding 53.7% rise. Transhipment container traffic saw an even more impressive 136.5% increase, indicating a growing role for Nigerian ports in regional cargo redistribution.
ServIce boAt oPerAtIoNS
During the period, service boat operations recorded an exceptional 49.6% increase in activity, with the number of boats handled growing from 8,956 in 2023 to 13,396 in 2024. Additionally, the Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) for service boats soared by 129.3%, jumping from 1,997,163 tons to 4,579,742 tons. This reflects enhanced offshore activities and better service infrastructure at the ports. The operational efficiency of Nigerian ports also showed improvement. The Average Turn-Around Time for vessels decreased from 4.7 days to 4.6 days, reflecting a 1.0% improvement in port operations. Lekki Port demonstrated the highest efficiency, with an average vessel turnaround time of just 2.5 days. Furthermore, Berth Occupancy Rate improved from 30.1% in 2023 to 33% in 2024, signifying increased port utilization and operational effectiveness.
INDuStrIAl hArmoNy
In keeping with his inaugural address, Dantsoho has since appointment placed employee matters on top of the Authority’s agenda through unprecedented collaboration with the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned companies (SSASGOC).
Only recently, the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola and Dantsoho received the commendation of the coalition of Maritime Workers for clearing the age long backlog problem of employee stagnation by conducting promotion examination in one fell swoop to admiration of the Union and its members. This is in addition to an increase in productivity bonus, provision of end-of-year welfare items to staff and the review of the Financial Guide to the Condition Service which has comprehensively responded to workers’ yearnings for increase in response to inflationary trends.
DANGote, StAkeholDerS commeND DANtSoho
Following the exception performance, stakeholders including Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), truckers commended Dantsoho stressing that the Marine and Blue Economy sector will witness expansion.
Speaking on Monday during a courtesy call to the NPA headquarters in Lagos, President of the Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote explained that as the biggest customer to the NPA, it is important that the interaction between NPA and DIL is sustained.
According to the richest man in Africa, “We are here to thank the NPA for doing a great job, because as we speak today, we are the biggest or largest customer to NPA.
“I think this kind of interaction between us and them is very, very important for the growth of the industry. So, we discussed quite a lot of issues. We also discussed issues of how to deepen the Marine and Blue Economy of the nation. And we have agreed to actually work together for the benefit of Nigeria.
A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.
An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the
floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
GUIDE TO DATA:
Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 11 June-2025, unless otherwise stated.
L–R: Mr. Dare Ajayi, Dr. Yemisi Adeyemi-Bero; Wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun; Senior Pastor, Trinity House, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo; Bishop Funke Felix-Adejumo; and Mrs.
Ajayi, during the 5th anniversary remembrance and thanksgiving service for late Pastor Mrs. Ibidunni Olajumoke Ighodalo, held at Trinity
Dispatches SGF, IGP, NSA, heads of intelligence agencies to state ahead of visit, to hold court with stakeholders
President, Abbas push for multi-layered approach to national security Alia: 151 killed in Yelewata massacre, blames armed herders, terrorists Akume, NGF, Atiku, Obi, Mark, PDP, Labour Party, others condemn crisis
Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Michael Olugbode, Olawale Ajimotokan, Sunday Aborisade, Linus Aleke, Juliet Akoje, Kuni Tyessi in Abuja, Hammed Shittu in Ilorin, George Okoh in Makurdi and Funmi Ogundare in Lagos
President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to visit Benue State tomorrow for an on-the-spot assessment of conditions in the North-central state following persistent violent killings by suspected Fulani herders.
Tinubu would try to foster peace and address impacted communities in the state.
The president, initially billed to embark on an official visit to Kaduna State tomorrow, has now rescheduled the state visit to Thursday.
According to a release yesterday by the presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the president’s visit aims to assess first-hand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction in Benue State.
During his stay, Tinubu will hold a town hall meeting with stakeholders, including traditional rulers; political, religious, and community leaders; and youth groups, to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.
In preparation for the visit, Tinubu has already sent Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume; Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun; National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; heads of intelligence agencies; and Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees to Benue State.
Tinubu had previously condemned the violence in Benue State and called on all leaders and residents to embrace peace, love, and mutual understanding.
Speaking also at the inauguration of the Greater Abuja Water Supply Network, Loops 1, 2, 5, and 6, held along Airport Road, Tinubu observed a minute of silence in honour of victims of recent violence in Benue State, and extended his heartfelt condolences to the affected families and communities.
The president said in the statement,
“While I sympathise with the people of Benue, I’ve spoken to the governor. The leadership of Benue should accept our condolences and try hard – very consciously – to maintain peace and harmony among themselves.
“We are a huge family living in the same house, staying in different rooms, but living together in harmony.” Tinubu, Abbas Push for Multi-layered Approach to National Security
President Bola Tinubu and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive and multifaceted strategy to address Nigeria’s complex and evolving security challenges. They emphasised the importance of strengthening the legal framework to improve coordination and intelligence sharing among the country’s security agencies.
Tinubu and Abbas spoke during a one-day legislative dialogue focused on constitutional amendments and reforms to the national security architecture, organised by the House Committee on Constitution Review, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
Speaking through the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Tinubu stressed the need to realign Nigeria’s security structure with current realities.
He cautioned that relying solely on a centralised system or moving towards complete decentralisation would not adequately secure the country.
According to Tinubu, rising calls for the creation of state police, increasing cybercrime threats, and the demand for improved inter-agency intelligence cooperation highlight the need for a more flexible and collaborative security setup.
He outlined the range of security threats facing Nigeria, from terrorism in the North-east and banditry in the North-west to the farmer-herder conflicts in the Middle Belt and separatist movements in the South-east, emphasising that no single agency can address the issues alone.
Tinubu pointed to the government’s integrated security strategy, which included intelligence coordination, joint task forces, and unified offensives, as having yielded tangible outcomes, such as breaking up separatist groups in the South-east and disrupting criminal operations in the North-west.
“These initiatives have led to fewer high-profile kidnappings and stronger responses to cross-border threats,” Tinubu said, citing them as proof that an all-of-government approach is effective.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, Tinubu highlighted progress, such as the establishment of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, the deployment of surveillance drones and mine-resistant vehicles, and a shift towards community policing to build trust with citizens.
Earlier, Abbas, in his remarks, stated the timeliness of the dialogue, stressing the importance of reviewing outdated laws to better respond to current security threats.
He argued that Nigeria’s security issues required a strategy that was “multi-dimensional, inclusive, technologically informed, and responsive”, saying such a strategy must rest on a firm legal and institutional base.
Abbas stated, “Our goal is to redesign the security system so it can truly address insecurity. This dialogue also serves as a platform to fine-tune key bills, such as the one proposing state police.
“The House of Representatives is prepared to go beyond mere legislative motions to enact meaningful reforms that support federal anti-insecurity measures.”
Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the Constitution Review Committee, described the event as a critical “diagnostic session.”
Kalu observed that past securityrelated laws were often crafted without adequate input from those engaged directly in the field.
“As lawmakers, our reforms must be grounded in accurate diagnoses. We’re here to hear from those on the frontlines who understand the real challenges,” Kalu said.
Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, also called for urgent updates to Nigeria’s legal and constitutional frameworks in light of emerging threats, such as cyber warfare, hybrid conflicts, and insurgency.
He criticised the existing legal structures as outdated, pointing to unclear chains of command and ambiguous detention protocols that
hinder effective internal military operations.
Musa recommended: reforms to amend the Armed Forces Act and related constitutional clauses, setting up field and permanent court martials in all commands, giving constitutional status to court-martials as superior courts of record, granting the military power to investigate and detain suspects during internal security missions, empowering the navy to collaborate with Customs and Immigration on inland waterways to tackle piracy and smuggling, and introducing a merit-based system for appointing service chiefs.
He further proposed that courtmartials be authorised to prosecute individuals captured in acts of terrorism or insurrection under martial law.
“Security is more than just weaponry, it depends on legal clarity, institutional capacity, and public trust,” Musa said.
National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, represented by National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, emphasised that constitutional structure and national security were deeply linked.
He stressed the need for a constitution that was inclusive, proactive, and capable of addressing the root causes of conflicts, arguing that such a constitution is essential to building national cohesion.
“The constitution must grow with the aspirations and challenges of Nigerians. It should help resolve grievances, protect rights, and strengthen
trust between citizens and the state,” Ribadu said.
He praised the National Assembly for initiating the dialogue and urged lawmakers to consider reforms that decentralise service delivery, enhance institutional capacity, and improve governance efficiency.
“As we deliberate today,” he stated, “let’s remember that constitutional reform is not only about structure, it’s also about safeguarding the unity, stability, and sovereignty of our Republic.”
Alia: 151 Killed in Yelewata Massacre, Blames Armed Herders, Terrorists
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, yesterday, confirmed that at least 151 people were killed in the recent massacre in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, during an attack by armed herders and terrorist groups.
Alia, who spoke during an interview on ARISE TV Primetime, described the assault as the most devastating in recent times. He said the death toll rose from 59 earlier in the day to 151 as more bodies, many burned beyond recognition, were discovered in homes and bushes.
“Two are still in the morgue, and 18 have yet to be buried,” he said, stressing, “Four more bodies were just found in the bushes.”
Despite the long history of farmerherder conflicts in Benue State, the governor emphasised that the attacks
had evolved into something far more sinister.
“This is no longer about farmerherder clashes,” he said, “What we are facing now are full-scale assaults by well-armed bandits and terrorists.” The Yelewata area, which borders Nasarawa State, was targeted by the assailants who reportedly arrived via a river route, bypassing military and police checkpoints.
“They came in large numbers and first attacked the security personnel on the highway. When they were pushed back, they regrouped and overwhelmed the community,” Alia explained.
He acknowledged that President Bola Tinubu had previously ordered the Chief of Army Staff to take personal charge of the security situation in Benue following similar attacks.
“Three mobile military units were deployed, and they helped calm the situation in Sankara, where the earlier violence had occurred,” he said. However, he observed a dangerous shift in attacks from the Sankara axis to Guma and Gwer West previously considered calm.
He said despite federal intervention, the attacks had continued.
“Yes, there was support from the federal government. But it is not enough if people are still being slaughtered,” the governor stated. He said local forces needed to be empowered to defend their communi-
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has restated his administration’s commitment to strengthening health systems through investments in health promotion, prevention care and community engagement.
He said the government has greatly invested in the renovation and equipping of many primary and secondary healthcare facilities in the state and will do more.
Speaking in Ilorin during the 27th Annual National Conference of Nigerian Association of Health Educators (NAHE), AbdulRazaq stated that the administration was working round the clock to ensure
that health workers are well trained.
The theme of the conference was:
“Dimensions and Adaptation to Health and Illness Behaviours; Repositioning Health Education in Nigeria Healthcare System”.
He said: “Our government has huge investments in health care services in the state. We have renovated and equipped our primary healthcare centres and maternities across the state. The secondary health care facilities are not left out.
“This is in addition to frequent recruitment of health care personnel across all cadres into our workforce. Salaries and wages including promotion of health care workers are regular and prompt”.
Represented by his deputy, Mr. Kayode Alabi, the governor noted that the task of turning around the health sector requires a collective approach, soliciting for value partnerships with NAHE and other professional bodies.
He commended the organisers of the conference, believing that the theme will stimulate rich conversations, innovative ideas, and practical solutions to the pressing health challenges we face as a nation.
Earlier in his remarks, President of NAHE, Prof Shehu Adaramaja, said the conference sought to understand the multi dimensional aspects of health and illness behaviours, adapt health education approaches to meet contemporary challenges, and strengthen
the integration of health education into Nigeria’s healthcare system for better outcomes.
Adaramaja, who is the Chairman, Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), said despite the progress in the Nigerian healthcare system, the sector is still facing low health literacy and inadequate prioritization of preventive health education among other challenges. Meanwhile, the tragic death of 21-year-old Hafsoh Lawal, a student in Ilorin who was lured and murdered through social media yesterday sparked a decisive movement to address the growing threat of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) in Kwara State.
Efforts by the federal government to arraign the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over alleged cyber-bullying failed yesterday, due to the non-service of the charge on her by the prosecution.
The office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice had on May 22, slammed a six count charge bordering on cyber-bullying and defamation against Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has been suspended from the Senate for allegedly violating the Senate rules.
The Kogi senator on the other hand is accusing the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment amongst others, which she has filed several petitions to the Inspector General of Police and the AGF.
However, the AGF acting on the petition of Akpabio had filed two separate charges at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s arraignment before the FCT High Court was stalled two weeks ago due to the then judiciary workers strike.
Meanwhile, at Monday’s proceedings in the Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Muhammed Umar rejected a request by the prosecution to have Akpoti-Uduaghan arrested for failing to present herself for arraignment on an alleged cyber-bullying charge.
When the suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/CR/195/25, was called, the defendant was not in court but was represented by her lawyer.
Based on her absence, prosecution counsel, David Kaswe, urged the court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Akpoti-Uduaghan.
However, the court disagreed with the FG after it learnt that the charge was only served on the defendant’s lawyer, Mr Johnson Usman, SAN in court at 9.18am, Monday, June 16, 2025.
According to the judge, since the defendant had not previously been served with the charge or hearing notice, it was inconceivable that she would be present in the courtroom for arraignment.
Besides, Justice Umar disagreed with the prosecution’s submission that the defendant was aware of the pending arraignment because her lawyer had been served with the suit.
Following the court’s ruling, the prosecution then applied for substituted service of the charge on the Senator through her counsel.
The application was granted by the court, which then fixed June 30 for her arraignment.
While in the case at the FCT, the federal government filed a three count charge against Akpoti-Uduaghan, before the Federal High Court, the charge is a six count, which is similar to those at the FCT court.
According to the prosecution,
the Kogi senator was alleged to have, while on a live television programme, accused the Senate President, Goodwill Akpabio and ex-Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello of plotting her assassination.
Akpoti-Uduaghan in count two was alleged to have on or about April 1, 2025 while addressing a crowd of people at Ihima Community,
Kogi State, within the jurisdiction of the court “intentionally caused the following communication to be transmitted via a computer system and network, to wit: “..and Akpapio told Yahaya bello, I am saying, standing by what I have said. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done here, so it
will seem as if it is the people that killed me here...”
The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) is to hold a two day interactive session to evaluate President Bola Tinubu’s electoral promises to the North.
In a statement yesterday, the Director General of SABMF, Abubakar Umar, said the event was a follow-up on the foundation’s engagement with frontline presidential candidates on October 17, 2022, where Tinubu, alongside others candidates, presented their manifestos and made commitments towards the development of Northern Nigeria. According to him, the interactive session scheduled for June 24 and 25, 2025, at the Arewa House, Kaduna, will provide a robust platform for constructive dialogue between repre-
sentatives of the federal government and citizens.
“This landmark event builds on the Foundation’s successful engagement on 17th October 2022, where frontline presidential candidates, including then-candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presented their manifestos and made commitments towards the development of Northern Nigeria.
“With President Tinubu now two years into his administration, this follow-up session aims to evaluate the progress made on those electoral promises, deepen government-citizen engagement, and promote a clearer understanding of the administration’s policies and programmes.
“The event will provide a robust platform for constructive dialogue between representatives of the Federal Government and citizens. It is
As the global community marks the International Domestic Workers Day, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has asked African governments to urgently ratify and implement the Domestic Workers Convention 189, a critical international standard that recognizes and protects paid care work within the home.
According to the ILO, Africa is home to a staggering 9.6 million domestic workers aged 15 and above, many of whom labour in invisibility despite the crucial role they play in keeping households and economies afloat.
In a message by the African Regional Office titled: “Decent Work for Domestic Workers is Africa’s Shared Responsibility,” the ILO’s Regional Director for Africa, Fanfan Rwanyindo, lamented that despite the crucial role these domestic workers play in keeping households and economies afloat, they are more often maltreated or neglected.
She described the moment as a time for reflection, action, and political will.
“Domestic workers, the majority of whom are women, are among those most affected. During times of upheaval, they are often the first to lose jobs, the last to receive support, and the least likely to be covered by social protection,” she said.
“At all hours of the day and night, domestic workers ensure the wellbeing of families, yet their own wellbeing
designed to bridge the gap between policy implementation and public perception, dispel misinformation, and address misconceptions about the administration’s initiatives,” it added.
Umar said that by facilitating open and honest discourse, the Foundation seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process, ensuring that governance remains responsive, inclusive, and accountable to the people.
He said the two day event will feature high-level presentations and interactive sessions with key federal government representatives, who will provide detailed briefings on progress in critical sectors, including national security, agriculture, infrastructure and social services, healthcare, education, governance, economy and other essential services.
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
In a significant policy shift, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has approved the return of schools to missionary organisations in the state. The decision was announced following a meeting between the governor and the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Gabriel Dunia, yesterday in Government
The federal government claimed that the defendant knew this contained a threat that could harm the reputation of Yahaya Bello, a former Governor of Kogi State and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024 and punishable under same section of the Act.
The federal in count three noted that the defendant on a live television programme accused Akpabio and Bello of holding a meeting where discussions on her elimination was held, with the intention to harm the reputation of the Senate President.
too often goes unnoticed, especially in times of crisis,” Rwanyindo lamented.
“From the economic scars of COVID-19, the devastation of armed conflicts, to the toll of climate disasters like floods and droughts, domestic workers are among the hardest hit.”
“These disruptions magnify social and economic inequalities and stretch already fragile protection systems,’ she said
On those with additional vulnerabilities: migrant status and disabilities, Rwanyindo stressed, “Migrant domestic workers and those living with disabilities face even greater risks of abuse and discrimination. She said the contributions of domestic workers extend beyond private households
“Despite the hardships, domestic workers continue to show resilience and compassion. They cook meals for others while skipping their own.
They care for children, the elderly and persons with disabilities with dedication, despite facing threats to their own security.”
“Their work is essential, not only to the families they serve but to the broader economy. Yet the harsh truth remains: care work remains undervalued, underpaid, and underprotected in Africa. “An estimated 15.8 per cent of Africa’s paid female employees are domestic workers. But this vital work is undervalued and underpaid.”
She pointed to systemic issues such as the informal nature of employment, absence of written contracts, and lack of minimum wage, healthcare, or unemployment benefits. “In some African countries, they are excluded from national labour laws. In many others, enforcement of existing laws is weak or non-existent,” she observed.
clarified that any of the affected schools currently undergoing renovation by the state government would remain under its supervision until their completion. He listed the schools expected to be affected by the policy as Our Lady of Fatima College, Auchi; St.
Speaking, Dunia revealed that despite persistent appeals to previous administrations, the state government had not positively responded to the church’s requests for the return of their institutions until now.
L–R: Divisional Head, Personal Banking, FCMB, Mr. Adetunji Lamidi; competition winner, Adebayo Oluwaloni; Group Head, Consumer Liability, FCMB, Mr. Abubakar Etamesor; and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission official, Mr. Nasiru Olajide, at the grand finale of FCMB’s National Essay and Drawing Competition for pupils and students aged 3–17 in Lagos… recently
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
In a blistering interview, former Governor of Jigawa State and founding member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, accused President Bola Tinubu of attempting to rewrite Nigeria’s democratic history following his infamous Democracy Day speech.
Speaking to journalists, Lamido warned about a looming dictatorship, while accusing Tinubu of behaving like an emperor surrounded by sycophants, and dangerously centralising power.
Lamido dismissed recent claims by
Tinubu that he and Senator Ameh Ebute were central actors in the June 12 struggle, describing the assertion as “an effort to distort the facts and reward betrayal”.
According to him, Ebute was installed as Senate President by the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida after Senator Iyorchia Ayu was removed for resisting Babangida’s anti-democratic agenda.
“Rewarding Ebute as a June 12 hero is a travesty,” Lamido declared, saying, “He was doing Babangida’s bidding. Ayu was the one who stood up for
democracy, and he was punished for it.”
Lamido challenged Tinubu’s version of history, stating that at the time Abacha dissolved both political parties and the National Assembly, there was no legislature left for Tinubu to have mobilised.
“There was no National Assembly. It had been dissolved. So, who was he convening with?” Lamido asked.
He further criticised the growing personalisation of national institutions and honours on Tinubu’s watch.
Lamido said, “How can one man’s name be stamped on everything in
Nigeria? We are becoming a Republic of Tinubu. When you play God, and you have sycophants around you, you end up dancing naked.”
Referring to Rivers State’s current political situation, Lamido slammed Tinubu’s attempt to appoint state officials as unconstitutional.
“Even under a state of emergency, the constitution does not give him that power. It is the National Assembly that should take charge, not the president. What Tinubu is doing is an assault on democracy,” he stated.
Lamido backed Senator Seriake
Dickson’s recent criticism of Tinubu’s anti-democratic tendencies, praising the Bayelsa lawmaker for “speaking truth to power” during the recent Democracy Day events. He said, “Dickson is 100 per cent right. You can’t be talking about democracy and at the same time talking about militocracy. Imposing somebody who is not elected to run in a country with a democratic system is not possible. You know it’s all part of his grand desire to distort and manipulate and hoist a false propaganda on Nigeria.”
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is set to retire from the company after a 10-year stint at the helm of affairs in the Nigerian unit of the oil and gas supermajor.
Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, hinted at this yesterday when the Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Okunbor, visited his office in Abuja to introduce his successor, Mr. Marno de Jong.
“I spent the day engaging with stakeholders in the industry, beginning with the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria Limited, followed by Chevron Nigeria Limited.
“The outgoing Managing Director of SPDC, Mr. Osagie Okunbor,
introduced his successor, Mr. Marno de Jong, who is currently the Vice President Africa and their team, as they highlighted their investment projected to run into billions of dollars, demonstrating their continued confidence in our energy sector”, Lokpobiri wrote on his official X handle.
Since taking the reins in 2015, Okunbor has become one of the most visible Nigerian faces in the multinational energy space, with his ascent built steadily over three decades within Shell.
The period saw him hold strategic roles in the UK, the Netherlands, Brunei, and Nigeria. Under his leadership, Shell has striven to reposition its Nigerian operators, particularly amid growing challenges—environmental scrutiny, divestments, and shifting regulatory expectations.
A graduate of Business Administration of the University of Benin, he joined the Shell group in June 1986. Okunbor rose through the ranks working primarily in the HR Function until 1996 when he proceeded on an international assignment to the United Kingdom as a Senior Advisor in the Shell London Office.
Between 2002 and 2006, he served as Africa Regional Human Resources Policy Manager, General Manager Human Resources for SPDC and eventually became the Human Resources Director in 2006, a position that placed him on the Board of SPDC.
He was also Vice President, Infrastructure and Logistics for Shell Nigeria (2007-2008) and then Vice President Human Resources, SubSaharan Africa (2008-2013). Okunbor was appointed the Managing Director
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, has told Nigerians what to look for in their future leaders to avoid the current ‘embarrassing’ situation, stressing that no magic can be done where there are leaders that are incompetent and lack capacity, character and compassion.
On his X handle on Monday, Obi said: ‘‘Leadership of a nation is such that it’s either succeeding or failing, none can be hidden. There are critical areas of leadership that must exist for a nation to move forward, and these are summed up in four Cs: Competence, Capacity, Character and Compassion. Where
these four are non-existent, there is no magic you can do.
“It’s in this line that I have always maintained that we must move away from voting based on tribe and religion, and begin to vote for people with competence, capacity, character, and compassion, because we have all seen, painfully, what leadership without these qualities has done to our country.’’
He explained that: “Competence because Nigeria today needs a leader who understands the issues, who has the knowledge, experience, and clear ideas to solve them. Capacity because it is not a ceremonial position; it requires strength, stamina, and the mental energy to confront our complex challenges.
‘’And above all, leadership must be rooted in character and integrity because without integrity, public trust collapses, corruption thrives, and selfishness takes over”, adding that “But perhaps most importantly, we need compassion, because when a leader lacks compassion, human lives are treated as statistics, and suffering is ignored.’’
Obi further said: “Sadly, the evidence is right before our eyes. Recently, we witnessed severe flooding in Niger State that claimed nearly 200 lives, with many still missing. Yet, not even a single presidential visit, this, in a nation where the scene of the tragedy is less than an hour away by helicopter.
of SPDC and the Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria on March 1, 2015.
Besides, Jong has been Executive Vice President Nigeria since April 1, 2025, responsible for the oversight of Shell’s Companies and operated Joint Ventures (JVs) in Nigeria.
A member of the board of Nigeria LNG, he has more than 25 years of energy company experience through upstream, midstream and downstream leadership positions in the UK, Venezuela, Nigeria, Australia, the US, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Besides, Lokpobiri said he met with Chevron officials, where he took the opportunity to reiterate President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to positioning the oil industry as a
globally competitive destination.
“Afterwards, I met with Mr. Clay Neff, President of Chevron International Exploration and Production (E&P), and Mr. Jim Swartz, Chairman and Managing Director of the Nigeria/Mid-Africa Business Unit. I took the opportunity to reiterate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to positioning our oil industry as a globally competitive destination.
“We explored avenues for deepening collaboration, particularly in the deepwater segment, where I encouraged Chevron to scale up its investments. Both engagements reaffirmed the government’s dedication to fostering a stable and attractive environment for long-term energy partnerships,” Lokpobiri added.
He also upbraided Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, saying the former Rivers State governor’s continued praise of Tinubu is nothing but theatrical sycophancy. Lamido stated, “Wike came out defending the naming of a major centre after Tinubu. But let’s be honest, Wike is just the office he holds. Look through history, governors make a lot of noise while in office because all the attention and resources are on them.
‘’I did it too. We all did—El-Rufai, Fayose, Ortom. But once you’re out of office, you’re forgotten. Where are we now? Quiet. Invisible. It’s not Wike talking, it’s the office talking. Remove the office, and he becomes just another former governor, behind all of us in the queue.”
On the national honours, Lamido lamented the loss of integrity in the award process, which he said was now being used as a political tool.
“What is the qualification of those being awarded? Betrayal? Compromise? It used to be a process rooted in merit, but not anymore,” he stated. Lamido laid out the institutions that upheld democratic governance – judiciary, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), executive, legislature, and political parties – insisting that all are now under Tinubu’s manipulation. He said, “Tinubu is too clever by half. He may fool some, but he cannot fool all of us. He is centralising power, like Pharaoh. But history shows, it is only such emperors who end up destroying themselves.”
The family of the late Secretary General of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Frank Kokori, has commended President Bola Tinubu for posthumously conferring the national award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on their patriarch, in recognition of his role in the historic June 12, 1993, pro-democracy struggle.
Kokori’s family, however in a statement issued yesterday and signed by one of his sons, Kive Kokori, appealed to the President to reassess and upgrade the honour accorded to the late Kokori, ideally to the Grand Commander of the Order of Nigeria (GCON) or Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).
“We advocate for the naming of a
national monument or institution after Frank Kokori to enshrine his name in public memory and inspire future generations. Such an act would serve not only as a gesture of gratitude but as a national statement that integrity, sacrifice, and courage still matter in Nigeria”, it added.
The Kokori family noted that though he did not receive this recognition during his lifetime, it is never too late to do what is right.
The statement read: “We thank President Tinubu for his leadership, and we trust that as a man who himself paid a steep price for democracy, he will rise to the occasion in correctly honouring one of its most unsung but indispensable warriors.
“We see this gesture as an important and commendable step toward correcting a long-standing
national oversight, and we deeply appreciate the President’s resolve in ensuring that the heroes of Nigeria’s democracy are not forgotten.
“However, with great humility and in the spirit of justice and historical clarity, the Kokori family appeals to President Tinubu to further elevate this recognition to more appropriately reflect Comrade Kokori’s extraordinary and unmatched contributions to the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.
“As General Secretary of NUPENG during the dark era of military dictatorship, Frank Kokori led the most consequential national oil workers’ strike in Nigerian history, which effectively crippled oil production and export, the nation’s economic lifeline in protest against the annulment of the June 12 elections won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
Says it’s joint ticket and decision to announce running mate belongs to principal partner Kwankwasiyya behind rumour vice president will be dropped from ticket, says party in Kano Ganduje’s aide condemns Gombe attack
Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
North-east Zone of All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained why Vice President Ibrahim Shettima was not mentioned in the open endorsement extended to President Bola Tinubu by the zone on Sunday.
Speaking on Arise news television yesterday, the chairman of APC in the zone, Mustapha Salihu, said it was usually expected that the ticket holder should announce his running mate.
APC had at a meeting in Gombe endorsed Tinubu, but did not mention Shettima for re-election in 2027.
Salihu refused to endorse Shettima alongside the president, a development that led to a rowdy session during the meeting.
There had been questions over Shettima’s fate since party leaders endorsed Tinubu as sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election during APC’s National Summit held last month at the presidential villa in Abuja. This had fuelled speculations that Tinubu might not run with Shettima in 2027.
Sunday’s meeting in Gombe was attended by the APC national
chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; the governors of Borno, Yobe and Gombe states, Babagana Zulum, Mai Mala Buni, and Inuwa Yahaya, respectively; as well as ministers and lawmakers from the North-east.
In attendance, also, were Senator Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) and APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori.
Salihu said regarding Shettima, “We mentioned his name in the communique that I read as the vice national chairman. He is the son of the soil. The ticket is always a joint ticket, but it is always the ticket holder that will mention his running mate.”
Kano State’s APC spokesperson, Ahmad Aruwa, also dismissed claims that the party’s National Chairman, Ganduje, was protested against for failing to mention Shettima’s name during the North-east zonal meeting in Gombe.
Aruwa said the omission was neither a crime nor unusual, pointing out that similar instances occurred at the APC national convention, as well as during endorsements by Senate and House of Representatives, where Shettima’s name was not
mentioned without drawing backlash.
In an interview with newsmen, Aruwa said, “There was no booing or protest against Ganduje. As a senior party official, he was simply escorted to his car, that’s all.”
Aruwa also dismissed suggestions of any plan to drop Shettima from the 2027 ticket.
He stated, “What the party chairman said was exactly what was said at the APC national convention. There was no mention of Kashim Shettima’s name. The Senate reaffirmed its support for Tinubu’s candidacy without mentioning Kashim.
“Likewise, the House of Representatives did the same without mentioning Kashim. So why didn’t anyone protest at
that time? When the time comes, both Tinubu and Shettima will be confirmed.
“There has been no official statement suggesting Shettima will be replaced. All of this noise is being stirred up by the Kwankwasiyya movement in Kano because they see that Kashim is engaging with them politically.”
Meanwhile, Ganduje’s Senior Special Assistant on Enlightenment, Oliver Okpala, said the disruption and acts of thuggery and brigandage by some members of the party at the zonal meeting of the North-east APC was totally condemnable, grievously irresponsible and unpatriotic to the current political dispensation in the county.
In a statement, Okpala said,
“There is no space for violence in Nigeria’s political space presently, therefore, party members should resort to the civilised tenets of political decency, decorum and comportment in their political activities in the country.”
Reacting to the incident in Gombe, at APC’s North-east zonal meeting, Okpala stated that it was this kind of unwarranted political crisis in the then Western Region, in the First Republic, that developed into a major national crisis that contributed to the collapse of the First Republic.
He stated, “The national chairman of APC is a father to all and since he assumed office he has been working and uniting all members, and showing love to all. His closeness and relationship
to the president and vice president is not in doubt, as it is as solid as the rock of Gibraltar.
“Even when Dr. Ganduje tried to diffuse the tension by letting them know that it’s a joint ticket, these individuals whose actions looked recalcitrant by nature failed to see reason to agree with his genuine submission.
“He had emphasised that the North-east produced Nigeria’s number two citizen, and that the APC values the zone. That the president and vice president are a single ticket under the constitution, yet they refused to listen.
“What kind of politicians are these individuals seeking violence with lack of tact to resolving whatever grievances they may have.”
of defections from the PDP, including those of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, both of whom recently joined the APC with the full party structure in their respective states.
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Rivers State Chapter, has warned against the risk of monopoly as Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to distribute petrol and diesel to marketers, others across the country.
The group expressed concerns about possible monopolising the products, which distribution as announced by Dangote refinery would commence on August 15, 2025. IPMAN gave the warning in a statement signed and made available to journalists yesterday, in Port Harcourt, by its State chairman, Mr. Tekena Ikpaki. Ikpaki stated, “we must not
overlook the broader implications it holds for Nigeria’s downstream sector. According to the refinery, the initiative will be backed by a fleet of 4,000 newly acquired Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)powered tankers.
“This unprecedented scale of distribution, if left unchecked, could significantly undermine the independence and survival of thousands of small and mediumscale operators across the country.”
Also acknowledging and supporting the development of domestic refining capacity, IPMAN cautioned against allowing a single entity to dominate the entire fuel supply chain from refining to retail.
Ikpaki expressed the belief that “Such control poses a clear threat to free market competition and opens
the door to monopolistic practices that could destabilize the livelihoods of over 10,000 independent marketers nationwide”.
The downstream sector thrives on diversity and accessibility. A monopolized system, regardless of initial incentives or goodwill gestures, will eventually distort market pricing, limit supply options for retailers, and push out smaller players who lack the resources to compete with large-scale, vertically integrated operations.”
To prevent long-term damage to the sector, IPMAN Rivers called on the federal government, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and other relevant agencies to enforce the anti-monopoly provisions of the
Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
They also seek that the federal government should “Ensure open, equitable access to depots and supply infrastructure. Monitor pricing strategies and supply agreements for fairness and transparency.”
They added that the government and other relevant agencies should “Provide support and protection for independent logistics providers and marketers.
This is not an attack on progress or investment. It is a call to protect the integrity and inclusivity of Nigeria’s petroleum distribution landscape. Without clear safeguards, this initiative could mark the beginning of a dangerous monopoly that the country can ill afford”, Ikpaki expressed.
Speaking during a media chat, aired on an online radio station, ‘TheTalk.NG’, Mutfwang explained how he won the governorship election in Plateau State despite being just a former Local Government chairman, insisting that he could not betray the people and his party
There have also been calls from a group within the APC urging Mutfwang, who recently met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to join the ruling party, a move that has sparked heated exchanges between the two dominant parties in Plateau State.
But addressing the rumour during the media chat, Mutfwang insisted that Plateau remained a traditional PDP state and that abandoning the party would amount to a betrayal of the people.
Mutfwang’s who recently visited Tinubu at the Villa, stirred speculations of his alleged move to APC.
According to the Plateau State governor, “I haven’t had that conversation of leaving PDP
for APC with anyone. The media has speculated a lot, but nothing has happened.
“There are two or three groups peddling that rumour. One group is well-intentioned. They know the APC has never really existed on the Plateau—I say that with every sense of responsibility. They’ve been in government by fraud for the past eight years.
“In 2015, they didn’t win that election. There was a wave of anger in the PDP that led to anti-party activities, but even then, the APC did not win. I was a local government chairman at the time. We adjourned the coalition at 8 p.m. to resume the next morning. But by 2 a.m., when I woke up to urinate, I found that the results had already been declared,” he said.
The governor said it would be unconscionable to betray the people who have stood by the PDP.
“That’s why I have always said my political future will be decided by God and the people of Plateau State. Wherever Plateau people go, that’s where we go.
“For us, this isn’t even a matter for discussion. I am a bona fide member of the PDP. I remain so. And I’m very optimistic that very soon, the PDP crisis will be a thing of the past,” he added.
L–R: Regional Operations Director,
Dike Onwuamaeze
Following the torrents of reform policies launched by President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the past two years, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has called on the federal government to realign these reforms to avoid stifling the private sector’s growth.
This call was made yesterday in Lagos, by the Director General of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, during a press conference to announce the 4th Nigeria Employers’ Summit with the theme “Enabling Sustainable Enterprise in a Transitioning Economy: Aligning Fiscal, Trade, and Regulatory Reforms for Inclusive Development.”
Oyerinde said the high-level
keynotes addresses during the summit, which would hold in Abuja on June 25th and 26th, would be delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima, and federal ministers of Finance, Industry, Interior, and the Federal Capital Territory. In his opening remarks during the press conference, Oyerinde emphasised that the concurrent implementation of multiple reform policies are impacting the productivity and competitiveness of orgaised private sector.
Some of the ongoing reforms, according to him, include the tax and fiscal policy reform, monetary policy reform, trade policy reform, industrial revolution reform, aviation sector reforms and the immigration policy reforms.
He said: “Our call is that there is need to realign these reform policies so that they do not hurt but rather promote the private sector’s growth and invariably the overall growth of the Nigerian economy.
“Also, one of the most important things for us is to gain more clarity about these reform policies of the government as there are many reforms going on everywhere.
“And it will be unfortunate if the businesses that will make these reforms to work do not really understand them. So one of the first things we want is to gain more clarity about the reforms across the economic sectors.
“Then build consensus around them without which they will become difficult to implement. We need this
consensus to build the private sector’s confidence that these reforms will do what they were set out to achieve.
“The private sector needs to be part of what is happening. We need to make inputs and our voice should be heard.”
Speaking during the press conference, the Chairman, National Employers’ Summit Planning Committee, Ms. Victoria Uwadoka, said the objective of the summit is to bring together leaders from government, industry, civil society, and the international community to engage in open, solution-oriented dialogue around some of the most urgent and strategic issues confronting enterprises in Nigeria today.
Uwadoka, said the summit was intended to build consensus because
there are many reform policies in place that are targeting the same people and businesses for their implementation.
She, therefore, noted that there was an urgent need to create systematic engagement between the public and private sectors to think through these reforms policies and make changes where necessary in order to build consensus on a roadmap for sustainable enterprise and inclusive economic development for Nigeria.
She said: “Our message today, and indeed throughout this summit, is a simple but critical one: Rebuilding the Nigerian economy is a shared responsibility, and the engine of that rebuilding is an enterprise that is supported, not stifled; empowered, not burdened.
“Therefore, we are calling on the public sector to recommit to enabling policies and regulatory coherence.”
According to her, it is good to have reforms because the country would not keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.
“But the most critical thing that is to achieve a synchronisation of these reform policies so that they do not work against each other.
“What we want to see is that everyone is working on shared priorities. We want the public and private sector to be on the same page by synchronising these reform policies in order to move faster toward achieving the industrial and economic growth that we desire in Nigeria,” Uwadoka said. T I nubu Re S c H e D ule S V ISIT
ties, stressing that Nigeria must man its unmanned borders.
Asked about Tinubu’s suggestion to organise peace meetings between warring communities, Alia expressed scepticism about negotiating with faceless terror groups.
He said, “We’ve handled farmerherder crises through community reconciliation in the past. But this is now on a different level. These are external armed groups, not local communities at odds.”
He, however, said he remained hopeful, regardless.
“We had visits today from the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff, who both promised new strategies if current ones fail. The president is also expected in Benue on Wednesday, and his presence will go a long way,” Alia explained.
The governor sued for unity and vigilance, saying, “We need to man our borders, think together, plan together, and protect our land together. We need peace and we must all come together to defend it.”
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, described the continued bloodletting and mindless killings across Benue State as both disheartening and utterly condemnable.
In a statement yesterday, Akume described the latest carnages as one too many, adding that it is not merely a tragedy for Benue, but a deep wound to the soul of the nation.
He stated, “These dastardly acts are not restricted to Benue State alone. Plateau and Zamfara states also suffer the same fate. These killings are economic deterministic, not religious driven.
“The innocent lives lost — men,
women, and children — will not be forgotten. We mourn them not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters, bound together by a shared humanity and a common destiny.”
The SGF exhorted all sons and daughters of Benue, leaders, traditional institutions, and key stakeholders to urgently come together to forge a path towards lasting peace and security.
He called on the people to rise above division and act decisively to protect their people and preserve their future.
Akume stated, “I express profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for his swift directive for a full security operation to rid Benue of these killers and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“It is to be noted also, that the federal government has rendered assistance through NEMA, while more troops have been deployed to Benue state to handle the explosive situation.
“For my part, as a son of the soil and a key stakeholder, I will not relent in consulting, mobilising, and coordinating all necessary efforts to find and implement a durable solution, as I am doing the same for all the other affected states.
“As believers, Christians, Muslims, traditionalists, we believe in the sanctity of human lives. Any single life lost offends the sensibility of God Almighty. All of us must live as brothers and sisters in peace and harmony.”
CDS Vow to Chase Out Killers in Benue
inspector General (IG) of police, Kayode Egbetokun and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, vowed to Chase and apprehend those involved in the killing of over 200 people in Yelwata, Benue State. Egbetokun and Musa were in Makurdi yesterday to access the extent of the tragedy at Yelwata. They
promised to restore peace to the state
The IG, who paid a sympathy visit to Governor Hyacinth Alia, alongside his team, at Government House, Makurdi, described the killings as barbaric.
He sympathised with Alia over the colossal loss.
Egbetokun pledged to collaborate with other security agencies to tackle insurgency in the state.
He stated, “I am here to access the situation and work together with other law enforcement agencies to proffer permanent solution to the pogrom ravaging the state.
“I am worried over the unending human carnage and everything humanly possible would be done to ensure peaceful coexistence in the State.”
Responding, Alia thanked the IG and CDS for the visit.
“Let me commend them for the concern demonstrated at different times during crises situations in the state,” he stated.
He also appreciated Tinubu for his resilience and unwavering commitment towards ensuring the end to the human carnage in the state.
Meanwhile, Egbetokun directed the immediate deployment of additional tactical teams and assets to counter the continued killings in Benue State.
He also assigned Deputy InspectorGeneral of Police in charge of the Department of Operations, DIG Kwazhi Dali Yakubu, to take charge and oversee the operations aimed at restoring peace and serenity in the state.
Spokesperson of the force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, in a statement, revealed that the IG was accompanied to Benue State by some senior officers.
They included Deputy InspectorGeneral of Police in charge of the Department of Operations, Yakubu, Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Logistics and Supply, DIG Adebola
Ayinde Hamzat, the AIG Zone 4, AIG Zachariah Fera, and the CP SIS, CP Abayomi Shogunle.
“Upon his arrival in Benue State, the IGP visited the state government, where he commiserated with the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, who expressed his ease and delight at the IGP’s visit and the deployment of personnel and tactical assets over time and even at the moment,” Adejobi said.
The statement said in his discussion with the governor, the IGP condemned the attacks, describing the killings as senseless and an act of terrorism.
He reassured the governor of the Nigeria Police’s efforts to rein in the situation and bring the perpetrators of the heinous and barbaric acts to justice.
The IGP also seized the opportunity to visit the Yelwata community, where he inspected the damage done and engaged with community leaders alongside the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), yesterday, condemned the bloody attack on the people of Yelewata and Daudu in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, describing it as an affront to human dignity.
A statement issued by NGF Chairman, Alhaji AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq, who is also the governor of Kwara State, said the heinous act represented a grievous affront to human dignity and must be condemned.
NGF condoled the governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, and the people of Yelewata and Daudu.
The statement said, “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), under the leadership of His Excellency AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Executive Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Forum, extends its profound condo-
lences to His Excellency Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the Government and people of Benue State, regarding the devastating attack on the communities of Yelewata and Daudu in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
“This heinous act represents a grievous affront to human dignity and must be unequivocally condemned. The Nigeria Governors’ Forum stands in unwavering solidarity with the bereaved families and the State Government at this time of profound sorrow.
“We pray for the peaceful repose of the departed souls, divine comfort for grieving families, speedy recovery for the injured, and the resilience of survivors.
“The forum pledges its full cooperation and readiness to assist Benue State and relevant authorities in restoring peace and security.
“We urge every Nigerian, irrespective of creed or affiliation, to denounce such brutality and collaborate towards forging a nation rooted in peace, justice, and mutual respect.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the killings in Benue State must not be allowed to continue, saying the state cannot continue to bleed in silence.
While warning that enough was enough, he stated, “The bloodshed in Benue State has reached a devastating crescendo — a brutal and heart-wrenching reality that can no longer be ignored.
“For years, families have buried their loved ones in silence, villages have been ravaged, and communities shattered, while those in power watch from a distance, offering nothing but hollow assurances.
“When citizens take to the streets to protest this injustice, they are not inciting rebellion, they are crying for help.
‘’They are demanding what every Nigerian is constitutionally entitled to: the right to life and the protection of that life by the state. But what do they receive in return? Tear gas. Brutality. Disdain. It is pouring hot oil on an open wound.”
Atiku added, “To unleash force on grieving, defenceless citizens is not governance, it is cruelty. It is a betrayal of the sacred duty of leadership. What kind of government meets a cry for safety with the barrel of a gun and a canister of gas?
“The silence, the indifference, the lack of urgency, it is all damning. It speaks to a deeper rot in the conscience of leadership, a frightening normalisation of violence against the very people they swore to protect.”
The former vice president said,
“This is a call to conscience to every leader at both the federal and state levels: stop turning a blind eye while Benue drowns in blood. Stop offering condolences and start offering solutions.
“Work with security agencies, deploy resources, and craft a security architecture that prioritises human lives over political optics. Benue is not alone. From Plateau to Zamfara, Kaduna to Taraba; the cries are the same. Nigerians are bleeding and begging to be heard.
‘’We urge the people not to be silenced. Raise your voices. Demand accountability. Demand justice. Demand a government that sees you, hears you, and protects you. History will not be kind to those who chose power over people. The time to act is now.’’
“How much more must the people of Benue endure before their humanity is acknowledged? Their demand is simple: to live in peace, to sleep without fear, to farm without being slaughtered, and to raise their children without the constant shadow of violence.
L-R: Asoju Oba of Iru Kingdom, Chief Idris Olorunnimbe, The Oniru of Iru Kingdom, HRM Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, Abisogun II; Olori of Iru Kingdom, Olori Mariam Lawal, and Yeye Asoju Oba of Iru Kingdom, Chief Mrs Bisoye Olorunnimbe, at the fifth coronation anniversary and conferment of honourary chieftancy titles on illustrious personalities in Lagos…recently
Adedayo Akinwale inabuja
Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and accused the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike of hijacking the party.
The aggrieved members protested at the party’s National Secretariat lamented what they described as ill-treatment by new entrants to the party.
Armed with placards with
various inscriptions such as: “We don’t want Aduda, we don’t want PDP members,” “We say no to PDP agents in FCT APC,” “Stop PDP agents from hijacking APC FCT election,” among others, the members condemned the takeover of APC structures in each of the area councils of the FCT by defectors from the PDP between January and May this year.
Addressing newsmen during the protest, the Spokesman of the group, Mallam Idris Jibril, condemned what he called the
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has been nominated to receive Media Friendly Award by the national leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) for his contributions to national development, and promotion of good governance, In a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs Ibrahim Waiya, the award is in recognition of Yusuf’s support for press freedom and the advancement of the media profession in Nigeria.
He said the NUJ also cited the governor’s exemplary leadership style and steadfast dedication to public service as key factors that earned him the award.
“The Media Friendly Award will be presented to Governor
Abba Kabir Yusuf at the NUJ’s 70th Anniversary Awards and Gala Night, scheduled to take place on Saturday, 21st June, 2025, in Abuja.”
“The Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs commends the NUJ for this noble gesture and reaffirms the commitment of the Kano State Government to upholding the values of transparency, accountability and press freedom, which is an essential pillars of democracy”
“On behalf of the Government and people of Kano State, we congratulate the Governor on this welldeserved honour and express our profound appreciation to the Nigerian Union of Journalists for recognizing his impactful leadership and media-friendly disposition” the statement added.
PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular mobile games, recently spread joy and sustenance to the waterfront community of Makoko in Lagos, during the Eid al-Adha celebrations. As part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, PUBG MOBILE organised a large-scale food donation initiative, feeding over 500 residents of Makoko.
The event with the themed: ‘PUBG MOBILE Cares Nigeria’, was held at Apollo Community Makoko, where volunteers, community members, and local leaders came together to mark the festive occasion. Freshly prepared lamb rice meals were delivered with love and a sense of community solidarity.
Brian, the head of Tencent Games in Sub-Saharan Africa, said:
“We believe in doing more than just entertaining people through gaming; we want to touch lives. Eid is a time of compassion and generosity, and we’re proud to use this moment to give back to a vibrant community like Makoko.”
The community head, High Chief Orioye Jephtath Ogungbure, expressed his appreciation, saying: “It’s not every day we see global brands come down to Makoko to genuinely connect with our people. This gesture means a lot to us, especially during a festive season like this.”
A renowned TikTok influencer and virtual gaming personality, Patrick Okoro, also praised the initiative, stating: “This is one of the most organized charitable outreaches we’ve had. The coordination, the quality of the food, and the respect shown to our people are commendable.”
open romance of the APC national leadership with PDP members, especially Senator Phillip Aduda, a loyalist of Wike.
The petition submitted by
Jibril on behalf of the aggrieved members read in part: “We write as loyal, concerned, and committed stakeholders of our great party, the APC, under the banner of the APC
Consolidation Group.
“This petition is borne out of deep concern over the dangerous infiltration of the FCT APC by individuals who neither reflect
the values of the party nor meet the constitutional requirements for nomination, yet are being positioned as candidates in a brazen attempt to hijack our internal processes.”
Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
Governor Ademola Adeleke has warned radio stations in the state to desist from allowing incitement to violence and constant breach of the national broadcasting codes.
The governor also cautioned opposition figures against inviting the public to violence on the recent judicial pronouncement on the local government leadership question.
and also manifest disdain for fair hearing to stakeholders.
In a statement Signed and made available to THISDAY in Osogbo by Spokesperson to the State Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor expressed displeasure at the activities of some radio stations who allowed guests to incite the public to violence
The statement condemned refusal to caution guests who made libelous and sedition allegations against public officials while at the same time blocking the right to fair hearing for affected people.
The governor has therefore, directed the Commissioner for Information to summon the General Managers of all affected stations for a briefing before further action will be taken.
While drumming support for freedom of press, the governor said observance of broadcasting codes is key to responsible broadcast journalism, vowing to impose sanctions on any station that refuses to obey broadcast rules and codes.
Wale Igbintade
Two legal practitioners, Ademola Owolabi and Adebayo Akeju, were yesterday arraigned before the Lagos State High Court at the Tafawa Balewa Square over allegations of forgery and willful destruction of property.
They were charged alongside a real estate developer, Alex Ochonogor, before Justice Serifat Sonaike. The three defendants were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery, and willful destruction of property. The charges were filed by the
Lagos State Government under suit number LD/23611C/2024.
According to the prosecution, the case involves the alleged forgery of land documents and the demolition of a property located in the Lekki area of Lagos. When the matter was called, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, announced his appearance for the state. Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN) represented the first defendant, Owolabi; M.A. Bashua (SAN), represented the second defendant, Akeju; while Tony Ejere appeared for the third defendant, Ochonogor.
Gbenga Sodeinde in ado ekiti
Political parties in Ekiti state have been charged to wake up from their slumber and be alive to their responsibilities ahead of the gubernatorial elections in the state.
CNPP said the it was high time the oppositions in the state woke from their slumber and get into action by making their relevance felt.
Speaking, CNPP leader, Pastor
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) made this call in Ado Ekiti the Ekiti state capital during its monthly meeting.
Victor Akinola, said it is dangerous and unhealthy for the oppositions to go and sleep like they are doing currently in the state.
The Ekiti CNPP observed that political situation in the state is currently look warm and not good enough for the democracy in view of inactiveness of the opposition in the state, adding that the situation, if allowed to continue, may give room for insensitivity on the part of the ruling party and thereby lead to situation whereby the government in power will be reckless, neglect its primary duties and responsibilities to the people in the state.
Commercial law firm Duale, Ovia & Alex-Adedipe (DOA) recently convened a high-powered gathering of policymakers, investors, founders, and regulators for its 4th annual TMT Business Series in Lagos.
Under the theme, “Beyond the Startup Frenzy: Building the Infrastructure for a Digital Nigeria,” the forum served as a critical platform to move beyond the initial excitement of the startup boom and strategically chart the course for Nigeria’s robust digital economy. The series kicked off with a DOA Partner, Omowunmi Sanni, who emphasised the urgent need for strengthening the legal, financial, and regulatory systems to foster scalable innovation. She reiterated DOA’s commitment to enabling business growth through strategic legal support and crosssector collaboration.
The keynote address was delivered by the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and
Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. He spotlighted national initiatives designed to propel Nigeria’s digital transformation, including the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, and the country’s ambitious broadband expansion goals.
Michael Olugbode in abuja
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has approached Nigeria to join other friendly nations across the world to pressurise Morocco into agreeing to convocation of referendum to determine the political status of Western Sahara.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, who was in Nigeria to state the position of his country on the Western Sahara issue and plead for support on resolution of the crisis, paid a visit to the
National Assembly and had discussion with his Nigerian counterpart, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja after the meetings, Beissat said for the peace of the Maghreb, Morocco must be compelled to respect the political wish of the
people of Western Sudan which can only through a referendum. He said: “Morocco’s colonial adventure is very costly. America, with all its might and its richness, couldn’t continue its colonial adventure in Iraq or in Iran or in Afghanistan or in Somalia. It’s very costly to oppress people.
The Oniru of Iruland, Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, has reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to the continued development of Iruland, while preserving the kingdom’s rich cultural
heritage and time-honoured traditions.
He spoke at a ceremony where dignitaries, traditional leaders, and members of the public gathered to celebrate his fifth coronation anniversary.
The monarch affirmed his commitment to culture and community development as well as the advancement of Iruland, emphasising a leadership style anchored on inclusive growth, cultural
preservation and the promotion of traditional values.
“By the will of Olodumare and the enduring grace of our ancestors, I ascended the sacred throne of my forebears as the 15th Oniru of Iru Land.”
Super Eagles and FC Nantes forward, Moses Simon, has urged Nigerians to unite against violence after terrorists attacked inhabitants of a village in Benue State.
According to Soccernet.ng, at about 11 pm last Friday, heavily armed Jihadists stormed Yelwata, a farming community in the Guma county of Benue State, setting ablaze their homes and slaughtering the predominantly Christian inhabitants.
The catastrophe claimed over 200 lives, and the toll is still on the rise as the remainder of the villagers try to reclaim what is left of the ruins they once called home.
While the Benue locals protested against the killings over the weekend, social media platforms were also flooded with awareness of the gruesome events happening in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.
Moses Simon took to his Xpage to join in the clamour for justice against the perpetrators of these wicked acts.
“We must stand together against violence and demand justice,” Simon wrote on his @Simon27Moses handle on Instagram yesterday.
The Super Eagles forward was not alone. New Catholic Pope Leo XIV has added his voice to the demand for justice over the mayhem in Benue, condemning the recent killings.
Before delivering his Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the Pontiff expressed deep concern
Kunle Adewale
As it has become the ritual for successive newly appointed directors and sports ministers, former Edo State Deputy Governor, Phillip Shaibu, who assumed duty recently as the new director of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), has pledged to reform the foremost sports institute in the country for it to reclaim the vision for which it was founded.
Shaibu yesterday went on inspection tour of the NIS facilities inside the decaying National Stadium Complex in Surulere, Lagos.
After the on-the-spot-assessment of the NIS, Shaibu, admitted that there is a lot of work to be done at the institute.
“There is a lot of work to be done, but the cheering news is that the structures are still strong. What we need is a comprehensive renewal and not just cosmetic, but deep-rooted reform that addresses infrastructure, training curriculum, welfare of staff, and the general system,” the newly appointed institute chief admitted.
Unlike a former sports minister who pledged to turn the NIS into a five-star hotel for the camping of the country’s athletes, Shaibu insisted that for him and his team to be able to carry out President Bola Tinubu’s directives for a total reform in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, there is the need for a complete overhaul to meet international standards.
When reminded that many of his predecessors had made this kind of promises with little or nothing to show for it at the end of their
tenures in office, Shaibu promised that his approach would be different from past administrations.
“My approach will be different because I have the will.” He likened the state of the institute to dry bones in the holy scriptures which could be revived. “The situation is not as bad as the valley of dry bones. If there’s a will, then there’s a way. With commitment and teamwork, NIS will work again,” he opined.
Shaibu said he was ready yo go as far as pushing for legislative amendments to give NIS more
autonomy and funding flexibility.
“To get the kind of results we want in sports, certain bureaucratic bottlenecks must be addressed. That may include changes in policy and funding structure,” he added.
He indeed promised that staff welfare would be a central part of his reform process. “You can’t drive excellence when your workforce is demoralized. We’ll look at welfare, training, and performance incentives as part of the broader reform.”
Asked on how he hope to address the poor budgetary allocation to the
institute, he said plans would be put in place at ensuring NIS move from the idea of reliance on ministry funding alone and explore new models and partnerships for funding, which is the international best practice.
The Director also promised broader consultations with staff and students to have a better understanding of the challenges they are going through.
“We are not just inspecting buildings. I will meet with staff, management, and students to hear their perspectives and chart a new course. Collaboration is key,” he said.
The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has officially commenced an ambitious project to establish its permanent secretaiat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. This initiative, which aims to enhance the infrastructure and operational capabilities of the Olympic movement, comes on the heels of a five hectares of land allocated to it by the Federal Government.
The new site will serve as the headquarters for the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
The project site was unveiled during a recent meeting of the board of the committee at which the leadership of the National Sports Commission (NSC) attended the event penultimate Tuesday in Abuja.
It NOC permanent site is located
around the Aviation Village, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The two important leaders in sports - the Chairman of NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko and the Director-General of NSC, Bukola Olapade were in the entourage.
The trip was led by the President of the NOC, Engr. Habu Ahmed Gumel. He was accompanied by members of the Executive Committee and the Board of the committee.
According to the spokesman of the NOC Board, Tony Nezianya, the new facility will be equipped with various sports training facilities.
“These facilities will cater to the needs of various federations affiliated to the NOC, fostering a conducive environment for training, development, and sporting excellence
as Nigeria prepares for upcoming international competitions, including the Commonwealth and the Olympic Games.
“Primarily, the facility will house the NOC Secretariat as well as streamline the Committee’s operations and enabling a more efficient management of Olympicrelated activities in Nigeria,” stressed Nezianya.
Engr Gumel hinted that the new NOC secretariat construction will be carried out in phases and will have no less than five floors.
“The facility will help to boost National Sports Initiatives. It is envissioned to provide various federations with the necessary resources to nurture local and professional talents.
Top Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal will try again to sign Victor Osimhen after the player rejected their fifth offer more than a week ago.
This comes at a time when Napoli are doing everything to ensure the striker is sold this month.
Top Transfer Expert Fabrizio Romano reported that Al Hilal will give another shot in their bid to sign the Super Eagles star.
“Al Hilal do not give up on Victor Osimhen and want to
present a new offer to the player,” he disclosed.
“The race is open as Galatasaray and the Premier League clubs are still in the running, while Juventus have made another call.” In the meantime, Napoli are pressing to sell Osimhen before the end of this month. His release clause of 75 Million Euros will help finance most of their summer signings going into the new season.
Playing like someone infused with the winning bug, Augustine Friday Nabueze led from start to finish to emerge champions of the 7th edition of First Bank of Nigeria Limited sponsored OBJ Golf tournament in Abeokuta at the weekend.
Playing off handicap 3, Nabueze grossed 76 for 73-net score to defeat a field of 134-golfers in the event put together to honour former President, Olusegun Obasanjo. Event sponsors, First Bank pledged its continuous support for the competition.
The golf playing Chief Executive Officer of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Olusegun Alebiosu, in a chat with newsmen, said the continuous sponsorship of the OBJ golf tournament is sacrosanct as its in line with the Bank’s commitment to supporting any sporting initiative that bring Nigerians together.
“At First Bank, we appreciate sports as part of our own strategy of reaching across the society and that is line with our theme of being
woven into the fabric of the society. And sport, like the OBJ Golf tournament is a good way of bringing people together”, stressed Alebiosu. He added that the OBJ Golf tournament will enjoy the same commitment that Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship and the Georgian Cup in Kaduna Polo enjoy. Reacting to the Bank’s gesture, former President Obasanjo, a renowned squash player, confirmed that First Bank’s consistent sponsorship of the tournament has now made him to take up playing golf.
“First Bank’s consistent sponsorships of this tournament in my honour have finally broken my resistance to golf. I have therefore decided to join league of golf players,” Obasanjo announced to the delight of golfers present at the closing ceremony of the tournament. Golfers drawn from across the country took part in the 7th edition of the tournament which ended at the weekend.
T I nubu An D T H e Sp I r IT Of June 12
Siad Barre of Somalia (1969 -1991), Omar al-Bashir of Sudan (1993 – 2012), Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo (1965 – 1997), and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe (1987 -2013. These were African leaders who died and their people rejoiced: a lesson in Africa’s democratic process, sit-tightism, and the link between leaders and their people.
But African leaders don’t ever learn, they are just tone-deaf, completely incapable of learning, as we see in Cameroon where President Paul Biya is determined to expire in office (President since 1975!, he is still there), in Equatorial Guinea where Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mbasogo thinks that without him (since 1979), there would be no country; in Rwanda, where Paul Kagame (President of Rwanda since 2000) imagines himself to be a modern day messiah, and in Togo where Faure Gnassingbe seems to think he has a divine, hereditary claim to power (President since 2005 after his father’s death and he has no plan to vacate office) General Sani Abacha wanted to be like these characters having blackmailed and schemed his way into office. He stole Nigeria blind and left a legacy as the ancestor that is always giving as successive Nigerian governments trailed his loots and repatriated a percentage of same from Switzerland, Island of New Jersey, the UK and United States. His widow says her husband was keeping the loot for Nigeria, for the people’s benefit. Even the dumbest man on the street knows that Nigeria has a Central Bank. Nigeria’s money could not be kept in Nigeria’s bank, Abacha had to go and hide our money elsewhere in safe havens that remained unknown to the Nigerian government and the people, and the records were known only to his own agents and family members. And now Mrs. Abacha moans! Madam, please!, please!!, and please!!!.
However, we were talking about how President Tinubu has tried to address part of the mess that General Abacha created, and how well he has reinvented the story beyond General Buhari and for which we commend him. On June 12 this year, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu decided to avoid the pomp and pageantry of old, and used the occasion to speak from the National Assembly which had organized a joint sitting to mark the occasion. Baba Seyi, Oko Mummy Remi spoke with flair and confidence. He read the teleprompter very well. His swag was in place. He was well dressed. Lagos City Boy did not disappoint. Very good optics. But the more important part was that Tinubu’s speech was devoted to the remembrance of June 12 heroes, the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for Nigeria’s democracy. He was a member of that struggle. In his early days, before he became Governor, and made money, he
was out there at the barricades, with the persons who resisted Abacha and the military junta. He joined others to shout: “Never Again To military rule.” The Bola Tinubu that many first knew was the anti-military, pro-democracy protester, who moved from the comfort of the oil and gas sector to fight for the ordinary Nigerian on the streets of Lagos and London. He was in exile. He returned and he joined the struggle as a politician. It has taken him more than two decades to remain in the struggle and find his way to the very top as Nigeria’s President.
On June 12, he remembered. He remembered his own past. He remembered his own comrades. He chose to honour them. It was not in any way an exhaustive list, and there have been complaints. Aare Dele Momodu, who played a frontline role in Radio Kudirat, says he would have been embarrassed if his name was added to the list. He was Saliu Elenu Gboro Eni Olorun O pa of Radio Kudirat. Omoyele Sowore, the activist, says if they had mentioned his name, he would have rejected the award, but give him his flowers, Sowore was at the centre of the June 12 struggle fighting on behalf of the ordinary Nigerian. I did not see Olisa Agbakoba’s name - terrible omission. I did
T H e u w AIS C O ur T: Gu A r DIA n O f TH e C O n STIT u TIO n A l r epubl IC accordance with its planning laws—an important assertion of territorial autonomy.
The boundaries of fiscal federalism were tested on the issue of ownership of oil revenues derived from offshore wells. In AG Federation v. AG Abia State (No. 2) (2002), the Court determined that offshore natural resources—particularly those beyond the 200 nautical-mile limit belonged not to the littoral states but to the Federation as a whole. This decision placed constitutional boundaries on resource control claims while paving the way for the derivation formula to be refined in subsequent fiscal arrangements.
Controversy also surrounded the power of States to create new local government areas. In AG Lagos State v. AG Federation (2004), Lagos had established 37 new Local Governments Areas. While the Court acknowledged the State’s authority to create such entities through enabling legislation, it stressed that these new councils could not be recognised as constitutional local government areas—and thus could not receive direct federal allocations—until their existence was ratified by the National Assembly via listing of the newly created local governments in part 2 of the First Schedule to the Constitution.
Of even greater moment was the courts determination that the President lacks the constitutional power to unilaterally withhold funds due to existing local governments, underscoring that no tier of government may be arbitrarily denied its lawful entitlement from the Federation account.
The Uwais Court also addressed the question as to whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could lawfully impose additional registration criteria on political parties beyond what the Constitution prescribes. In INEC v. Musa (2003), the Court invalidated several provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC’s guidelines that required evidence of national spread, physical offices in 24 states, and electoral victories as conditions for continued registration. It held that only the requirements stated in Section 222 of the Constitution—namely a registered office in Abuja, a defined party name and logo, and membership open to all—were valid. Any further conditions imposed by statute or regulation were declared ultra vires and struck down, thereby widening the democratic space for political participation.
Equally pivotal was the Court’s clarification of legislative powers over primary education.
not see Babafemi Ojudu’s name. Why? Kayode Fayemi also deserves recognition. He was at the centre of the Radio Kudirat operation in London: he has told the story himself in a book titled Out of the Shadows: Exile and The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in Nigeria (CDD, Bookcraft: 2005, 436 pp.). Fayemi holds the national honour, CON for his work as a two-time Governor in Ekiti State and as a Federal Minister. He should have been included in that list and promoted to the CFR rank. Dapo Olorunyomi too. When Abacha’s goons came for Olorunyomi in June 1995, and they could not find him, they arrested his wife and one-week old baby! That child must be fully grown now, born at the time into Abacha’s land of agony. Dapo fled. They detained his wife for 68 days! There were also careless oversights. Professor Bolaji Akinyemi got a CFR in 2011. In 2025, they gave him another CFR. He deserves the award but he also deserves promotion instead of turning him into a Yoruba version of Jay Jay Okocha, the legendary footballer, whose parents were so happy at his birth they named him twice!. The organizers were so sloppy, they declared two of the recipients dead: Dr. Edwin Madunagu, and Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the two distinguished citizens are still alive and well, the Nigerian government has no right to declare them dead officially, even if Mr. Bayo Onanuga has apologized accordingly. Don’t they keep records in the Federal Government? What happened to the digitalization that was done and perfected under the Jonathan administration? Is this a case of lazy civil servants or incompetent political appointees who make their boss look bad because they are not paying enough attention to details?
The matter is worse. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, friend and activist, member of NADECO, in a statement dated June 12, 2025, has done an even more comprehensive job of listing all the important names that should have been on President Tinubu’s list. In his list of names that President Tinubu should not have overlooked, he mentioned late Pa Michael Adekunle Ajasin, late Chief Anthony Enahoro, late Senator Abraham Adesanya, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Senator Cornelius Adebayo, Professor Pat Utomi, Bobo Nwosisi, Ralph Obioha, Bagauda Kaltho, Rev. Tunji Adebiyi, Pa Ayo Adebanjo; Frank Kokori, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, Chief Olanihun Ajayi, Chief Ayo Opadokun, Senator Kofo BucknorAkerele, Dr. Usman Bugaje, Chief Benson Lulu Briggs. Col Dangiwa Umar (rtd), Guy Ikokwu, Arthur Nwankwo, etc. Thank you, Emeka. But it seems to me that we should give some credit to President Bola Tinubu for even making the effort. Memory is one of the biggest problems we have had to deal with in this country. Nigerians are so present-minded, they toy routinely with history. Everyone likes to talk, and we all write history from our own side of the coin, but unfortunately
In AG Ogun State v. AG Federation (2002), the Court ruled that primary education fell within the domain of concurrent legislative authority, meaning both federal and state governments had the constitutional competence to legislate in that field. This reaffirmed the cooperative nature of Nigerian federalism, where shared responsibilities do not imply subordination.
In Fawehinmi v. IGP (2002), the Court confronted the tension between executive immunity and the rule of law. It held that while governors enjoy constitutional immunity from prosecution while in
those who get a chance to talk are so ignorant, and privileged. President Tinubu has a chance to correct whatever mistakes that may have been made. Those who may have been overlooked in the June 12 Honours list can be added to another list this year. No one can take away from Tinubu his bold, wise, and strategic decision to go back to June 12 and remind Nigerians of that significant moment in our lives, and particularly, the heroism of Chief MKO Abiola. Since his ascension to the Nigerian throne in 2023, he has been hands-on and visible, providing us with a different breath of fresh air, whatever the problems may be.
However, he needs to be reminded that the spirt of June 12 and the symbolism of MKO Abiola that he celebrates is all about “farewell to poverty”. This was MKO Abiola’s mantra. He wanted to re-organize Nigeria in such a way that Nigerians would not sleep and wake up poor and they could enjoy the dignity of the human person. It is well, right and proper that MKO Abiola preached the gospel of prosperity and welfare for all Nigerians. The best possible way to keep that dream alive and active, is for President Tinubu, a proclaimed progressive, to live up to that ideal. The standard test among Nigerians, as it was in traditional societies, is to measure a king’s tenure by the scope of prosperity among the people, certainly not the elite, during his reign. Tinubu must be reminded that no matter how long this lasts, the people will remember, and they will talk and busybodies like this writer will report what they saw in a fair and balanced manner. President Tinubu has only one primary assignment: to make Nigeria a better place than he met it. Professor Wole Soyinka extended that list of demands, when after the June 12 celebrations, the Nobel Laureate asked that President Tinubu, must do something about the conflict in the Benue, and the unresolved killings of Dele Giwa (October 19, 1986), and Bola Ige (December 23, 2003). Soyinka means well. Tinubu should listen to him. Nigeria has a long list of unresolved murders. Nobody should die because they are Nigerian just because they are from Benue or Odupani or Umukwata. Every one living within this territory called Nigeria deserves to live, and enjoy basic rights under the laws of the land. Other unresolved murders would include the killing of Toyin Onagoruwa, Marshall Harry, Funsho Williams, Alhaja Suliat Adedeji, Iyalode Bisoye Tejuosho, Aminoasari Dikibo, Alfred Rewane, Bagauda Kaltho… In the Abacha days, many died. Others disappeared. In the spirit of June 12, President Tinubu has the time and the opportunity to re-open many of these cases. He only needs to muster the will. Far away at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV spoke about “security, peace and justice in Nigeria”. He spoke the truth – that is exactly what we need in this country, not just in Benue-Plateau, but in every part of Nigeria.
by the executive to influence the appointment or removal of a speaker constituted an unconstitutional usurpation of legislative autonomy and violated the principle of separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.
Perhaps the most far-reaching judgment of the Uwais era came in AG Abia & 35 Others v. AG Federation (2005), where the Court considered whether the Federal Government could deduct various “first-line charges” from the Federation Account before distributing revenue to the states and local governments. The Court reaffirmed the supremacy of Section 162 of the Constitution, holding that revenue must be distributed strictly in accordance with the formula approved by the National Assembly. Except for deductions expressly permitted—such as the 13% derivation for oil-producing states—all other first-line deductions, including payments to the NNPC for joint venture operations, external debt servicing, and even funding for the National Judicial Council (of which the Chief Justice was chair), were declared unconstitutional.
Remarkably, the Court ruled that although the NJC enjoys constitutional financial autonomy, it must receive its funding from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and not directly from the Federation Account. In doing so, the Uwais Court placed the integrity of the Constitution above institutional interest—even its own.
office, they are not shielded from investigation. The distinction was critical: although they cannot be tried until they leave office, law enforcement agencies such as the police or EFCC may investigate alleged misconduct, thereby ensuring that accountability mechanisms are not frozen by immunity provisions.
The Court also pronounced on the independence of state legislatures from gubernatorial interference.
In Balonwu v. Governor of Anambra State (2004), the Court ruled that the governor has no role in the internal affairs of the House of Assembly, including its choice of leadership. Any attempt
For Justice Uwais, the Constitution was clearly not merely a ceremonial document. He understood it as a living covenant that bound all arms of government—and all levels of government—to a shared discipline. The Court he led did not shy away from calling the Federal Government to order, nor did it allow States to overreach their bounds. In his quiet, resolute way, his Lordship elevated the authority of the judiciary and deepened Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
He will be remembered not only as the longestserving Justice of the Supreme Court, but as one who laid critical foundational stones in the evolving legal architecture of a true federal republic.
The judgments delivered by the Uwais court continue to shape Nigeria’s democratic journey and will remain beacons of principled adjudication for generations to come.
•Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is immediate Past Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria - June 15, 2025
abati1990@gmail.com
Candidly, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done very well with June 12 by taking the narrative from where President Muhammadu Buahri left off, and choosing to give that date, the history and the symbolism of it, form, style and substance. President Buhari, despite the somnambulism of his administration, it would be recalled, suddenly woke up and decided that June 12, not May 29, should be the appropriate date, the remembrance date of Nigeria’s democratic transition from military rule to civilian rule in 1999. It was a wise, even if a political decision, one of those few things for which Buhsri’s sleepy administration deserves to be remembered for.
On June 12, 1993, Nigeria had a general, Presidential election that spoke to the potentials of a nation as a united country. The ticket: Abiola-Kingibe was Muslim Muslim, and yet Nigerians voted freely.
It was peaceful, well organized, voter turn-out was impressive. On that day, I even trekked from
Alakuko, a border town between Ogun and Lagos States to Alhaji D. A. Babalola’s house in Ogba, Lagos State and I trekked all the way back. I didn’t feel anything. Nigerians wanted change. The military had brutalized us so much, we wanted them out of the way. It was a vote for change and democracy. It was a vote against the people who did not want the June 12 Presidential election and their stomach-driven supporters in civil society, including traditional rulers who collected MKO’s money and goodwill and betrayed him. The entire county was in a mood of euphoria. But Babangida and his cohorts ruined everything. They annulled the election and imposed in due course, an Interim National Government (ING), a kangaroo, fidihe, one lap on the seat, one lap out, precariously seated contraption that never survived. The contraption was led by Chief Ernest Adegunle Shonekan who had made his name as a
United African Company (UAC) Chieftain, in those days when UAC was UAC. In less than 100 days, November 17, 1993 to be precise, the ING was sent adrift by General Sani Abacha who imposed himself on the Nigerian people as Head of State. Abacha was cunning, devilish, dictatorial. His widow, Maryam Abacha says something otherwise. No. She is wrong. She is not in a position to speak against her husband. She does not even know what she is talking about! Abacha not only stole this country blind, he inflicted such hurt (1993 – 1998) that will remain hurting, painful and discomforting for generations to come. When he died unceremoniously, suddenly and ignominiously, on June 8, 1998, there was dancing in the streets! He was in the class of General Idi Amin Dada of Uganda (1971–1979), Hastings Kamuzu Banda of Malawi (1966 – 1994),
GUEST COLUMNIST
By Yemi osinbajo
Hon Justice Lawal Uwais, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, died on the 6th of June 2025. He was 89.
In the annals of Nigerian constitutional history, few jurists have left a legacy as enduring and transformative as that of Hon. Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais.
While his tenure on the Supreme Court bench was the longest in the Court’s history, it was his years as Chief Justice—from the twilight of military rule to the dawn of the Fourth Republic—that would define his judicial legacy.
Presiding over the Supreme Court during a fragile
transition from authoritarianism to democracy, Uwais steered the Court through some of the most consequential constitutional battles in Nigeria’s federal evolution. Between 1999 and 2007, his Court was called upon to adjudicate in at least a dozen cases where state governments challenged the Federal Government’s overreach, testing the very boundaries of Nigeria’s federal structure.
The disputes involved radical, novel, and farreaching constitutional questions that demanded intellectual clarity, institutional courage, and unwavering fidelity to the Constitution.
Justice Uwais rose to that moment with principled resolve. Without drama or personal posturing, he insisted that the Constitution—not political
convenience—must always prevail. His judgments reflected a deep understanding of federalism not as a theoretical ideal, but as a living structure requiring balance, accountability, and mutual respect between the tiers of government.
Among the questions the Uwais Court was called upon to resolve was whether State governments could lawfully sue the Federal Government over constitutional disputes. In AG Ondo State v. AG Federation (2002), the Court affirmed this right unequivocally, holding that states had standing to bring legal action against the centre when federal laws or actions appeared to breach the constitutional order. It was a foundational ruling that affirmed judicial redress as a legitimate tool
of federal self-defence.
When Lagos State challenged federal authority over urban development and physical planning, the question that arose was who truly controls land use and planning within a State’s territory, especially where federal lands are involved? In AG Lagos State v. AG Federation (2003), the Uwais Court held that the State government retains exclusive legislative and executive authority over urban and regional planning, even in respect of federal land located within its boundaries. The federal government, the Court ruled, must obtain necessary development permits from the state in
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